L'amour Interdit
by 67OtakuGirl24X3
Summary: Note- you should probably read my short story Darkness in Paradise before you start this. It'll make it, I dunno, better.- A lot has been happening in Alexandra Ueda's life. Her siblings have gotten married and had children, she's started her final year at Hogwarts, she's learned new things about some old friends... And she's fallen in love with her Transfiguration professor.
1. Chapter 1

With all the ways to start this story, I'm going to begin with an introduction. My name is Alexandra Ueda, and I'm almost 17 years old. Most witches and wizards don't begin their seventh and final year at Hogwarts until they're already 17, but I am an exception for two reasons: one, because my birthday is in the first week of December, which is pretty early on in the year. Two, because of my intellectual abilities. I don't like to brag, though, so let's move on.

My shoulder-length hair is dark brown, like my dad's, but the tips, bangs, and roots are the same color as my mum's: _light_ brown. I didn't inherit her emerald green eyes, or my dad's deep blue ones. Instead, my brother Austin and I have eyes a unique teal color. Now that we're onto the topic of siblings, I have 5. All of them are older than me- Raito and Raye by 12 years, Austin by 9 years, Katherine by 6 years, and Kiseki by 4 years. I love every one of them to pieces. Unfortunately, however, I don't get to see them that often, especially since Raye, Raito, and Austin are all parents, plus Kathy is expecting her first child in a couple of months. Still, we keep in touch regularly.

Alright, let's get to the story. I had just stepped onto Platform 9 3/4 , pushing a cart piled high with luggage such as trunks, a cauldron, and a golden crate that contained a Dutch rabbit named Butterscotch. This was only the second year where it was only my parents seeing me off; normally, at least Kiseki would come along. Last year, however, he was on his honeymoon, and I don't know what his excuse was this year.

Well, no matter. I caught the eye of my best friend, Jenna, and waved her down. She said good-bye to her parents before grabbing hold of her own cart and running over to join me. We hugged and discussed our summers until the red Hogwarts Express rolled into the station. I wrapped my arms around both of my parents, standing on my tip-toes to give my dad a kiss on the cheek. His 5-o'clock-shadow-like beard felt scratchy against my lips.

"I'd tell you to be good, but I feel that if I tell you to do something I already know you'll do, I'll jinx it," he told me with a smile, gripping my shoulder lightly. My dad- Shiro Ueda- is a man that's about 6 feet tall and decently muscular. It's not difficult to accurately guess his age as 46, or at least estimate he's in his upper 40's. The same can be said about my mum, Konata Ueda, though that's about the only thing that's mutual about their appearances. Mum is a few inches above 5'5, and although having 6 kids had made her a bigger weight, she's now gone back to very thin (I'm built just like her, but even shorter). There are already a few strands of gray in her hair, but with a combination of magic and hair care products she's covered them up.

Mum bent down slightly and kissed both of my cheeks. "I'm sure you'll make us very proud, as usual. Don't forget to write, and we'll see you on Christmas…" Her voice was shaking a bit, so I could tell she was trying hard not to cry. I'm probably the only one of my siblings that hasn't questioned why she does this; I have enough sense to realize how emotional sending her children to complete the last year before going off into the world must be for a mother.

I nodded my head. "I'll miss you guys…" The train blew its whistle, so I jumped to hug my parents one more time. I turned to Jenna, grinned, grabbed my cart, and ran to board the train. After shoving our luggage through the door, we met up with some of our friends in the aisle. There was Wendy: a child-like blonde and the only one in our group who was a Hufflepuff. Kelly: an American, girly redhead that was in the same house as Jenna- Gryffindor. Lastly is Cecilia, who is a Ravenclaw like me. She's Portuguese, and really down-to-earth. We found an empty compartment, situated ourselves in it, and then slipped into conversation immediately.

"Did you know the Transfiguration teacher retired?" inquired Kelly after we'd told the highlights of our summers.

"Oh, yeah, my mum said something about that! Such a shame, the old professor was so nice… A bit high up in the years though, hm?" Wendy piped up. I blinked, tilting my head so that my long hair swished into my vision for a moment.

"I didn't hear anything about this…"

Cecilia looked at me with a shrug. "It wasn't in the paper or anything. I'll bet that-"

"Only people employed at Hogwarts or the Ministry know. My mum, being a secretary for Kingsley Shacklebolt, told me, and then I told Kelly when we saw each other over the summer," Kelly interrupted. Cecilia glared at her for a moment before turning to the window. She and Kelly don't get on too well- they never have.

Jenna, who'd been quiet for the most part, turned to me. "I would've thought you would know, Alex. I mean, your parents used to be professors, right?" It was true: for 9 years, Dad taught Care of Magical Creatures and Mum taught Muggle Studies. Raito had also taught Care of Magical Creatures, but 2 years after he'd started, he learned he'd be a father so he retired super early. As a result, few people knew of his brief employment at Hogwarts.

I shrugged. "They've kind of fallen out of the loop lately. I mean, Dad's been so highly promoted at the hospital that there's rarely a day he tends to less than 30 patients, and Mum's books have been getting so popular…" You see, my mum writes books of varying genres (most of them are romance novels or beginner's level magic textbooks), for both the Muggle and wizarding worlds. My dad is a doctor as well as a part-time Healer. "Not to mention now they've got grandkids too fuss over," I added as an afterthought. Yet, the next thing I knew, the topic had changed to Quidditch.

After what felt like years, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade Station. I smiled to myself as I watched the first years be ushered across the lake. It felt like just yesterday that had been me and Jenna, shaking in our boots and clinging to each other as if our lives depended on it… I couldn't believe I'd never see that lake again.

Once everyone had piled into the Great Hall, I bid temporary farewell to all of my friends except for Cecilia. We filed off to our House tables; I sat toward the end of the bench at Cecilia's request (she's not exactly a social butterfly). My eyes automatically scanned the staff table, but to my disappointment there was no new face. On the contrary, there was actually an empty seat where the Transfiguration teacher had sat ever year before. Perhaps Headmistress McGonagall had been unable to place a new professor? What would happen in that case? Absorbed in my silent worries, I didn't notice the Start of Term Speech was over until the feast appeared on the tables. I'm sure the dinner was delicious, but I didn't taste anything I put in my mouth.

With full stomachs, everyone headed up to the common rooms. Some of the Ravenclaws hung out in the common room, but Cecilia and I went straight to our dormitory. Our roommates- Niki, Margaret, and Bess- were already in there. Cecilia uttered a groan: she's not particularly fond of them. I went to my trunk and began searching for pajamas, trying to get a taste for what the other girls were talking about. It turned out they were discussing weddings.

"Hey, Alex, didn't you say your brother got married just last year?" Niki questioned. I nodded, shimmying out of my robes. Niki made a "hm" noise in response. "I was just thinking- I know I read in the _Daily Prophet _that your sister married Harry Potter's oldest son a few months ago, but I could not remember ever reading about your brother's wedding. His name's Kiseki, right?"

I paused before pulling my nightgown over my head. It was almost never a good time talking about this to people I wasn't very close to. Bess and Margaret were fine- we could be considered friends- but Niki wasn't my favorite person in the world. Convincing myself Niki wasn't in the room, I said conversationally, "The editor for that section of the _Prophet _is a homophobe. She won't write about gay marriages."

Niki's hairbrush clattered to the floor; Bess and Margaret froze, their eyes widening behind their glasses; Cecilia was completely unaffected (she, of course, knew this story). "Your brother is GAY!" Niki gasped. I continued to put on my nightdress.

"Yeah, he always has been. It makes no difference to me, though. His husband is SUPER nice, and that he's gay doesn't bother me at all. You love who you love, you know?" I responded casually. I truly didn't see why saying that should be any different than talking about a _woman's _new husband. Cecilia smiled slightly at the floor; Bess and Margaret looked like they suddenly liked me more; Niki stared at me blankly. "Well, good night girls," I exclaimed, hopping into my four poster bed.

"'Night, Alex," the others replied quietly. I pulled the covers over my body, scratched Butterscotch behind the ears as she hopped up beside my pillow, and fell asleep within minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, I awoke before the other girls. I untangled myself from the blankets, scooped up Butterscotch, placed her on the floor, and changed into my school robes. I ran a brush through my hair, my eyes closed; when I opened them, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror and smiled. Like I said before, I don't like to brag, but it isn't just paternal instinct when my parents say I'm pretty. My skin isn't perfectly smooth, but it does lack things like blemishes. I'm not pale, tan, OR rosy- I'm somewhere in the middle. If you took a still picture of my head, there's a good chance that at first glance you'd think I'm a realistic doll. Now, I'm not saying I'm perfect. As I've previously mentioned, I'm short and scrawny. I hate to pull this card, but my chest is the size of a 12 to 14 year old's. Plus, if you put me on any type of sports field, I'm doomed.

Well, now that you have an even better picture of me, let's move on. I slipped down to breakfast early, and unsurprisingly, I was one of the first people in the Great Hall. I eagerly looked up at the staff table; unfortunately, a new face was still unseen. My hopes didn't fall, though, since there were only 2 professors there already.

During breakfast, everyone received their schedules. A couple years ago, the school added on triple classes. This worked to my advantage, since it tended to put my friends' Houses into classes together. To my great pleasure, I had triple Transfiguration with Hufflepuff and Gryffindor right before lunch. In my excitement, I accidentally poured juice into my bowl and cereal in my goblet.

Of course I paid attention during my other classes, but my mind was mainly on upcoming Transfiguration. When the time came, Cecilia and I met up with Kelly, Wendy, and Jenna on the way to class. The others were animatedly discussing the new Transfiguration professor. "It's a man, I know that much… But I wonder what he looks like?" pondered Cecilia.

"I bet he'll be a hundred-and-some year old sorcerer that has more experience than everyone in this school combined," Jenna suggested.

"I think he'll be this CRAZY person that just got out of St. Mungo's and is all jittery and stuff," exclaimed Kelly, twirling her hair with her finger.

Wendy's green eyes began to sparkle. "Maybe he'll be like, a centaur!" she breathed.

"Why don't we stop guessing and just go into the classroom?" I chuckled. Kelly smirked at me.

"Sure, but if any of us got the description pretty accurate, you get to give the winner a Knut." I grinned, rolled my eyes, and pushed open the door to the Transfiguration classroom. There were already a bunch of students in the room, but we weren't paying attention to them: we were looking at the man sitting at the desk up front.

None of us pictured him even close to accurately.

There was something about this man that made it difficult to distinguish his age. Really, it could be anywhere from 20 to 30. He had silky, golden brown hair that covered his ears and though it trailed down to the bottom of his neck, from the front it looked like it didn't go below his chin. He had gray eyes that were scanning the pages of a textbook he held in one hand. With the other hand, he was absent-mindedly twirling his wand. We wore a plain, skintight black shirt with sleeves that reached his wrists. Under the desk, I noticed that he was wearing slacks the same beige color as his tie, and that he had on shiny brown dress shoes. My eyes shooting back upward, I realized his facial hair was very similar to my dad's.

When my gaze drifted back to my friends, I saw that Jenna was blushing slightly with a blank expression on her face; Kelly was hastening to fix her hair, and then digging in her bag for her makeup; Wendy had the obvious appearance of a fan girl; Cecilia had taken a seat at the back of the room. I tapped the three girls that were still standing, and proceeded to sit with Cecilia. The others were slow to do the same.

About 6 more people came into the room before everyone was present. The new professor looked up from his book, flipped it shut, and stood up gracefully. All quiet chattering ceased, and it seemed like everyone had stopped breathing. The man gave his wand a flick, causing a piece of chalk to float up to the chalkboard. It wrote in a fancy, greeting-card-font-like handwriting, "Professor Dimanche." He turned to the class, a small yet charming smile forming on his face.

"Bonjour. Je m'appelle- zat is, my name is- Leon Dimanche, but you may refer to me as _Professor _Dimanche. For the rest of your final year at 'Ogwarts, I will be your Transfiguration teacher. I 'ope we get on well." His French accent was not so heavy that he could not be understood, but it was quite obvious it was there.

For the duration of the class, he had us review transfigurations we'd done in previous years to get a better taste for our skill levels. Professor Dimanche himself was incredibly talented in the area of Transfiguration. Whenever someone would mess up- whether they were a girl stumbling because of his looks or someone who was just bad at the class- he would fix it perfectly with just a swish of his wand. He wasn't extraordinarily nice, but he also wasn't mean. When correcting someone's mistake, he would ask them to keep trying with a blank face. However, if someone performed a transfiguration properly, he'd flash that unintentionally seducing smile and say, "Très bien! Move on, s'il vous plaît."

The end of class seemed to come within a moment. Professor Dimanche said some form of French farewell, and everyone filed out of the room in a sort of daze. Everyone except for me, that is. I packed up my things sluggishly before laying my bag on my chair. Lacing my fingers together behind my back, I sheepishly walked up to Dimanche's desk while his back was turned. "Um… Excuse me, Professor?"

Dimanche stood up straight and turned to me, mild curiosity on his face. "Oui? 'Ow can I 'elp you?"

"Actually, I was wondering if there was any way I could help YOU."

Professor Dimanche gave me that gorgeous smile. "Why, zat would be nice, come to zink of it. I could use some 'elp unpacking zese boxes." He motioned behind him at some half-opened boxes of textbooks and quills. I pointed my wand at one of them and called, "_Wingardium Leviosa!" _The large books floated out of the box, neatly situating themselves on shelves nearby. Professor Dimanche made the same motion I had, making the other books float as well, though no words came out of his mouth. "Zis is very kind of you. I appreciate it, Miss…?"

"Ueda. I'm Alexandra Ueda," I told him quickly, causing one of the books I was transporting to almost drop to the floor.

"Ueda? You 'ave a relative that is a 'Ealer, non?"

I nodded, this time keeping focused on my magic. I did, however, notice that Dimanche had begun inserting the quills into his desk drawers. "Right. My eldest sister is, and my dad is part time. You probably wouldn't have seen him in the act though, since he works at a Muggle hospital that is run by a wizard, so it takes magical injuries on a secret floor. Then again, you may not have seen my sister either, she'd taken a lot of time off after having twins…" I blushed. "I'm sorry, I'm talking WAY too much…"

I heard Dimanche chuckle softly. "I am a professor, Ms. Alexandra. Ze more extensive you are, ze more impressed I am." I smiled timidly and continued shelving books.

It was silent for a few moments. "Er… Are you, from France, Professor?" I asked, desperate to keep a conversation going.

"Oui. Born and… raised, zere," he replied. I briefly wondered why he'd been hesitant to say "raised," but shoved that thought aside.

"I see. Beautiful language… Fascinating country, too. One of my sisters lives there."

"Does she? 'As she taught you any French?" Professor Dimanche was now arranging ink bottles on his desk.

"A little bit… I'd love to learn more, though." I opened another box of books and went to work sending them to the shelves. Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could just FEEL that Dimanche had smiled.

"I would offer to teach you some, but I am sure zis year will be busy enough for you." I gave a small shrug. It really would be lovely to receive French lessons from him, but he was right: I'd have enough on my plate. Placing the last book on the shelf, I turned to face Dimanche. I unintentionally looked at his face twice. Something inside of my head sparked. "Professor… Have I, seen you before…?" I inquired without entirely meaning to.

Professor Dimanche leaned against his desk, his expression calm and almost apathetic. "Possibly. You may 'ave seen me when my school, Beauxbatons, visited 6 years ago, when I was in my seventh year." My eyes widened. That was it! My mind swept into remembrance of a younger me clapping wildly as the foreign students dressed in blue made their introduction. One of them- a teenage boy with gray eyes and golden brown hair- had bowed quite close to my table and made me giggle.

"Yes! Yes, I do remember you! I DID see you back then."

I wondered if I was blushing as Dimanche's soft smile appeared on his face. "I must say, you 'ave a remarkable memory."

With a small shrug, I said, "Well, you know, IQ of 206..." I started thinking up something I could say that would make that sound less snotty, but Professor Dimanche responded: "206? Mine is 195 even. Try not to make me feel TOO stupid, alright?" A dash of happiness flickered in his eyes; I laughed shortly.

"I'll try." A thought then occurred to me. If he had been in his seventh year- 17 years old- six years ago… I speedily did the math in my head. "Wait a moment, Professor… You're… only 23?" I gasped.

"Oui… I 'ope zat is not a problem." Tilting his head slightly, Professor Dimanche looked legitimately concerned. I shook my head.

"Oh, no, not in the least! It's just… Blimey, you must be one of the youngest to ever teach at this school!"

"One of zem, yes. I am not positive 'ow old the YOUNGEST was, zough." He looked to be a combination of flattered and… Unnerved? Frightened? Agitated? I'm not sure.

"I hate to be bothering you, but, one more question: if you're from France, what brought you to teach here at Hogwarts instead of at your own school?"

"Oh, no, you are not a bother to me at all! But, I 'ave my… reasons." Professor Dimanche stood up straight. "Perhaps you should be 'eading off for lunch. You are a skinny girl, you could use some food." A bit stunned at his sudden change of subject, I nodded and grabbed my bag. Before I could walk out the door, though, Professor Dimanche called my name. I glanced over my shoulder to see he was smiling at me. "It was lovely talking to you."

I returned the smile, feeling myself blush slightly. I racked my memory for what French Kathy had taught me, and recalled how to say "nice to meet you" or, more generally, "enchanted." "Enchantée," I told him.

His eyes widened a little, but his smile deepened. "Enchanté, mademoiselle." I nodded, exited the room, and closed the door behind me. I spent the entire trip down to the Great Hall wondering why my heart was fluttering so oddly.


	3. Chapter 3

I didn't quite understand why everyone claimed that N.E.W.T level classes were extremely difficult. Don't get me wrong, they were hard, but I found them perfectly doable. A very popular topic amongst the school was how many students had received numerous passing O.W.L.'s.

"I don't get it. They're saying that record numbers of students are passing onto N.E.W.T. level classes, but why? This generation is no smarter than the last," Cecilia reasoned as we pored over an essay for Potions.

"Maybe they're making the tests easier for some reason?" suggested Wendy, who was doodling around the edges of her parchment.

Jenna shook her head. "Nah, that's definitely not it… The tests rarely change at all over the years."

I wrote the final sentence of my essay, which now took up exactly a foot of parchment. "Maybe this generation just consists of better studiers. Or less intelligent kids are making more smart friends. Or both of those factors, really." Jenna smiled at me.

"Yeah, that seems right." I grinned back at her, rolled up my essay, and slid it safely into my bag.

"Well Ms. I'm-So-Genius-That-I-Finish-My-Homework-Before-Everyone-Else, what are you going to do now?" Kelly hissed at me. She always acted like that when she was feeling jealous of my brains, but she's told me countless times that there are truly no hard feelings between us.

I shrugged. "Good question. I might as well turn in early… 'Night, you guys." And so I gathered my things and headed off for my dorm.

"Bonjour, everyone. I am 'oping you 'ave been practicing your 'uman transfigurations?" Professor Dimanche greeted us the next morning. Everyone nodded with an edge of grimness- some of us still had green eyebrows. Noticing this, Professor Dimanche chuckled under his breath and with a wave of his wand, turned everyone's brows back to their natural color. "Now zat zat's settled, shall we begin ze lesson?"

"Mademoiselle Ueda, would you mind staying back just a tic?" I paused just as I was slinging my bag over my shoulder after class. I blinked, mildly confused.

"Of course not, Professor."

Dimanche's breathtaking smile appeared on his face. "Merci. I will only be but a minute, I just need to make a phone call, and in case anyone comes in to speak to me, I want zere to be somebody present to tell zem I am busy."

"Oh, yes, I can do that," I responded with a nod. Dimanche returned the nod before slipping through a door in the back of the classroom.

I allowed my teal eyes to wander. I'd never been in his classroom alone before… There wasn't anything special about it: the shelves held nothing but books, and on his desk were simply a few textbooks, a coffee mug, a small houseplant, and a quill in an ink jar. The other teachers always had a bit of customization, whether with photos or some form of decoration. Dimanche's classroom, however, was a bit- for want of a better word- bland.

One thing did manage to catch my eye, though. Set on a shelf about 6 feet high was the most beautiful violin I'd ever seen. Sure, I never exactly saw a violin up close or chose to examine one, but there was something about this instrument that really drew me in. It was neither large nor small in size, and though quite obviously on the older side, it was well polished. Carved into the upper right corner in a black, slanted font was the initials L.D, and the wood was a gorgeous shade of red-brown. Some strange force seemed to make me desire to caress the silver strings, grasp the gleaming black handle…

I snapped my head away from the violin, pausing a moment to ponder when I'd gotten so close to the shelf. I was distracted by the fact that Professor Dimanche's voice was rising furiously. It wasn't like I was about to walk up to the door he was behind and press my ear against it- my parents didn't raise me to be an eavesdropper. Still, Dimanche was speaking so loudly I could clearly make out, even from where I was standing, that he was shouting in fluent French. My eyes widened as he spat: "JE DÉTESTE!" which I was positive meant "I hate." Who in the world could he be talking to, and _what_ were they talking about?

Seating myself at a desk so as to not appear like I was interested in the teacher's heated conversation, I waited a few more minutes until the back door opened. Rather red in the face, a vein pulsing in his temple, Professor Dimanche ran a slightly shaking pale hand through his silky golden-brown bangs. Most girls would have swooned as his fingers slid out from under his locks, but I kept my cool. While his eyes were still closed, I reverted my gaze back to the violin on the wall. I could just _feel _the atmosphere lighten a notch.

"I see you 'ave notice my most prized possession… She is a beauty, non?" Dimanche's voice was a bit hoarse and had an edge of irritation behind the sweetness, but I could still detect sincerity.

"Absolutely… I've never had an eye for the tools behind music, but I can tell that's one fine violin," I replied in an as-upbeat-as-I-could-manage voice. At first, I figured Dimanche would go to take down the violin; however, I was wrong: he strode over to sit on the desk beside mine. From his pocket he removed his wand- a 13 inch cherry wood. Come to think of it, the color was identical to the violin's.

"Oui, it does tend to be eye-catching even to zose who could not care less about it. Its bow, you see, is right 'ere in my 'and," Dimanche indicated. He gave his wand a complicated little twirl that he made look so easy, and it turned into a slightly lengthened bow. He flashed me a grin that was much unlike his usual seductive one: it consisted of humor and even embarrassment. "I am boring you, I can see."

I stood up straight as a pencil. "Oh, no, not at all, Professor!"

Dimanche chuckled under his breath. "It is better to tell ze truth to your auzority figures zan to lie to zem to spare zeir feelings. In zis case, I do not care if you tell me you are not interested."

I smiled both sheepishly and awkwardly. "Well, no, it's not truly fascinating information… But I'm being completely honest when I say that was a marvelous piece of transfiguration just then!"

"In zat case, merci. It _was _my wand zat caught ze eye of my new employer." To my utter shock, he took his free hand and gingerly ruffled my hair with it before I could reply. "I will write you a pass so your tardiness to your next class may go excused." I gave a halfhearted nod as he proceeded to his desk to retrieve a quill and piece of parchment. He quickly scribbled something down in that fancy handwriting of his, and gave it to me. "'Ave a good day, Mademoiselle."

"Yes, you too, Professor. See you next class." With a minuscule bow, I dashed out of the classroom without hesitation. It was then that I started to realize something was wrong: One should not feel a strange tingly sensation in their chest when their fingers are an inch away from their professor's across a form of hall pass_._


	4. Chapter 4

November and October seemed to fly by, making December turn up in no time. With the winter holidays, this naturally brought much excitement. However, I found that for me, the pleasure would be coming before Hanukah, Christmas, OR Kwanza. It was true that I turned 17 on the sixth of December, but I don't think too much about that- I have a strict no-celebration rule, accepting no more than smiles, hugs, and "Happy birthday"s.

The real joy started when it had only been December for a few days more than a week. I was sitting next to Cecilia, who was browsing the _Daily Prophet _with a bored expression, while I ate a small bowl of cinnamon oatmeal. The regular flurry of post owls flew to their owners, grasping envelopes and packages in their talons. I was mildly shocked when a speckled black-and-brown owl dropped a letter right above me, which landed delicately over my bowl without touching the oatmeal. I tilted my head, picking up the parchment with an expression of curiosity. Not only was the owl unfamiliar, but it didn't stop for me to give it a treat like owls who delivered my post almost always did. On the contrary, it made a U-turn immediately and flew out an open window.

Setting down my spoon, I slid my finger under the wax seal on the letter. Without delay, my eyes scanned the neat, feminine handwriting; by the time I'd finished reading it, they were widened and sparkling. "Oh, wow! This is awesome!" I breathed. Cecilia gave me a look that told me she was interested without using any words. I eagerly held up the parchment. "Kathy had her baby! It's a healthy little girl, they named her Marie Ginevra… Look, they've attached a photo." I flipped the paper over to show the picture- moving, of course- of a beautiful newborn baby sleeping soundly, a hospital band still on her wrist and a magenta knit cap on her head.

Cecilia offered a soft smile, which was rare: she never showed joy in the morning. "She's so cute."

I nodded twice enthusiastically. "Definitely. It's funny… James has black hair and brown eyes, while Kathy's hair is light brown and her eyes are emerald green, yet Marie has dark brown hair and blue eyes. It's just like my dad, actually…"

"Well it must be possible for kids to inherit traits from their grandparents. I don't see why it wouldn't be," Cecilia suggested, turning back to her newspaper. I shrugged, returning to my oatmeal.

That evening, I decided to go for a walk around campus. Personally, I love the cold, which doesn't really make sense once you think about it- I mean, I don't get warm easily with my little weight. Decked out in a pale pink sweater under a navy blue jacket, furry pajama pants, black fur-lined snow boots, and a lavender scarf, I headed out the door.

It had snowed earlier, coating the ground in white as well as creating crystal icicles on all the trees and roofs. In the dim light emanating from the sunset, it looked like a scene from a fairytale. Every time I exhaled, a faint puff of breath would appear before me; all I could hear was the distant sounds of bustling inside the castle and Forbidden Forest with the addition of the soft crunching of my footsteps in the thin blanket of snow. That is, until something I heard something else.

At first, I thought it was my imagination, since it was so quiet. However, the farther I got, the louder it became. It was a slow, peaceful melody, clearly being played on a violin. The music was pleasantly hypnotic, drawing me in… Eyes closed, a gentle smile on my face, I walked right on past groundskeeper Hagrid's cottage and took a few steps into the Forbidden Forest. I then made out a soothing masculine voice singing in tune to the music:

"_Il est ne, le divin Enfant,_

_Jouez, hautbois, resonnez, musettes;_

_Il est ne, le divin Enfant;_

_Chantons tous son avenement."_

It was as if my brain was being lulled to sleep, so my mind was processing the situation slower than usual. French… The lyrics were obviously French… Plus, the tune was coming from a VIOLIN… That meant-!

Both the singing and the strumming stopped simultaneously. My eyes opened quickly, my smile faltering. When did I get in the Forbidden Forest? Oh blimey, the trouble I'd be in if I got found out… Professor Dimanche stood with his back against a tree, his prized violin propped under his chin. I expected him to ask what I was doing in the forest, but I was wrong: he just smiled peacefully, closed his eyes lightly, and continued to bring the bow across the strings.

"_Depuis plus de quatre mille ans,_

_Nous le promettaient les Prophetes;_

_Depuis plus de quatre mille ans,_

_Nous attendions cet heureux temps," _

He sang. He paused, appearing like he wanted to continue, but instead chuckled and put the instrument down. "Fancy seeing you out 'ere, Mademoiselle Ueda."

"Oh, good evening, Professor… I know I shouldn't be here, but the music, it just, drew me in, and-"

"You were not aware of yourself? Oui, I understand."

"Well, it was a bloody _beautiful _sound, I have to say. Your singing, too," I told him quietly. Dimanche's smile softened even more. Unless I was mistaken, I could have sworn there was some shape of affection shining from it.

"Zat is very kind of you, Mademoiselle Ueda."

He made a motion with the hand that held his wand disguised as a bow. "It is getting dark. Per'aps you should be 'eading back."

I glanced over my shoulder, confirming that the sun truly had set. "Alright… Good night, Professor."

"Good night, Alexandra." Almost slipping in the snow, I turned speedily and dashed back to the castle, insisting that my cheeks were red because of the temperature.

As always, I boarded the train to go back home for the winter holidays. My friends and I eagerly hopped off the Hogwarts Express once it pulled into King's Cross Station, saying quick farewells and bolting off to find our families. Mum and Dad greeted me cheerfully, and we Apparated off to our home in Japan.

With the size of our gorgeous house, it's always been my parents that host the Christmas party. Each year, it's the same basic guests: Raito with his wife Presilla and their 4 year old son Jasper; Raye with her husband Scorpius Malfoy and their 5 year old twin daughters, Lucia and Lucina; Austin with his wife Radha and their 2 year old son Sai; Kathy with James (did I mention he's James _Potter?); _Kiseki with Cyrus- his husband; Dad's brother, my Uncle Satoshi, with his wife Catherin plus their daughter and son, Kaitlin and Sam; Aunt Catherin's twin sister, Caitlyn, with her husband Michael, their daughter Kiersten, and Caitlyn's son Justin (Justin's dad- Fred Weasley- died before he was born); Dad and Uncle Satoshi's sister, my Aunt Sakura, with her husband Colin Creevey and their 20 year old adopted son Dennis; Scorpius's sister, Rena, with their parents Blaze and Draco (who are also Mum and Dad's best friends). Sometimes, though, even MORE people show up. Like this year, James's parents- Harry and Ginny Potter- were there with their other 2 kids, Albus and Lily, plus Harry's godson Teddy Lupin. I can't complain, though: the more the merrier!

By the time I'd come downstairs after changing into my party dress, everyone had arrived. I looked all around me, smiling unintentionally, when I felt a hand ruffle my hair. "My lord, I know it's Christmas, but surely you angels aren't allowed to come down to Earth…" I turned around, beaming.

"Hi Cyrus!"

The young man smiled at me, opening his arms for a hug which I didn't hesitate to supply him with. "Hey kiddo." It's easy to understand why Kiseki would marry him, even if they're both men. Despite a rough past, Cyrus is happy-go-lucky, outgoing as can be, and gives off this vibe of cheeriness almost 24-7. Not to mention he's quite handsome, with his wavy yellow-orange locks, short-shaved facial hair, thin but slightly toned build, and dazzling aqua blue eyes. With the fact that he makes Kiseki, whose back story is too long and poignant to get into, feel happier than he ever has in his life added onto all that, it's impossible NOT to love Cyrus.

Once Cyrus went off to get some punch for himself and Kiseki, I noticed that Mum, Dad, Ginny, and Harry were fussing over a bundle in a very proud-looking James's arms. For a brief moment I wondered where Kathy was, but then I realized she was walking over to me. She halted humming a song I found familiar to say: "Alex! I haven't seen you since my wedding!"

"Oh, wow, that was way back in July… It HAS been that long… It's great to see you!" I exclaimed, hugging my elder sister. I could tell she'd put on a bit of weight, but I suppose that was to be expected- she'd just had a baby earlier that month. "That song you were just humming… What's it called?" I wondered aloud.

"Hm? Oh, it's a popular French Christmas carol; it's called _Il Est Ne_. You don't happen to know it, do you?"

"Not REALLY… It's just, I overheard my Transfiguration professor playing it on his violin and singing along to it," I answered. Kathy nodded slowly.

"I see… I've heard about that new professor. From what I've been told, he's a fine teacher, very young, and very French," she indicated with a slight smile.

"Personally, he's one of my favorite professors. Yes, he's _definitely _French, but he's not young at all. He's terribly old- 23!" I responded with a grin, very aware that Kathy herself was 23 as well. My sister laughed animatedly, ruffling my brown hair.

"I missed you, Allie."

Chortling a bit myself, I softened my smile. "I missed you too. Though, it seems you've been busy enough without me…" My eyes drifted over to my newest niece, who was being taken out of James's arms by Ginny.

Kathy let out a short sigh. "Blimey, that child is as bratty as her father." Despite her words, there was obvious affection in her tone and a soft smile was on her lips. It melted away quickly, though, as her baby let out a wail and burst into tears. She murmured something too swiftly for me to understand before speed-walking off to calm down little Marie.

I settled myself in a chair at one of the round, white-clothed tables on the side of the room, slipping into my own thoughts before someone else came over to speak to me. I bit my lip lightly as I recognized how uncomfortable I'd felt inside when I called Dimanche terribly old. In the event that I developed legitimate feelings for him, would that mean I fell for an _old man? _Certainly 6 years wasn't too much older… I glanced over at Teddy, who was entertaining the little ones with his metamorphmagus abilities. His dad had been _13 _years older than his mum… Even Austin was 3 years older than his wife. Then again, that was exactly half the age difference between me and Dimanche… When you looked at it that way…

"Allie, my baby sis! How's it hanging?" I jumped at the sound of my oldest brother's voice, his hand gripping my scrawny shoulder. Raito has a thin, pink scar on his right cheek that has been there for 15 whole years, since he was 14. The other permanent scars on his body include one on his chest and left bicep. Before you get the wrong image of him, though, you'd look into those deep pools of blue that are his eyes and realize he's a great guy.

"Pretty well, how about you?"

Raito swung himself onto the chair beside me. "I am doing stupendous. And you know, it is GREAT that you're doing pretty well. Doing good in school? Don't answer that, I know you're the bloody best student to ever be in that place. So how about the boys? Wooing them? Dating anyone yet?"

I felt a faint blush wash over my cheeks. "Nope… Still single."

"Dang it girl, you're 17 and haven't had ONE BOYFRIEND? You know, that's good. That is wonderful. Boys are icky. TOTALLY nasty." Suddenly, he stood up and gave me a lengthy kiss on the cheek. "Nice talk, Alex. Nice talk." And with that, he strode away. Most people would question how many glasses of wine he'd consumed, but anyone who knew him as well as me would be aware that that was just his upbeat personality talking. It was as if every molecule of oxygen he breathed in contained a considerable amount of alcohol, yet his brain remained significantly undamaged.

I smiled softly, watching him kiss his pale, black haired wife on the cheek and scooping their son into his arms. It was almost impossible to believe he could act like a mental case as well as be a wonderful father… My grin was short-lived, though. Have you ever been crushing on someone, and when you're asked who you like or who you're dating, you automatically picture their face? Well, I felt my heart plummet to my stomach as I acknowledged that the moment Raito mentioned "wooing" boys, the image of Leon Dimanche appeared in my mind. This was getting out of hand… He was my professor! There was no way I could keep this to myself much longer, I needed to talk it over with someone, some _woman_…

Mum would be the perfect person to confront- she wrote about all types of romantic situations in her books, was always supportive of her children, and easy to talk to. However, she was clearly busy trying to be a good hostess by keeping conversations alive and asking everyone if they needed anything. I could talk to Blaze or Rena, but for some reason they just didn't seem like the right people. I was sure Raye would be more than willing to help me out, but she was occupied getting food for herself and her very wound-up twins. I could ask Presilla… Conversely, we weren't terribly close and even though she'd grown on me, I wouldn't feel comfortable asking her for advice. Kathy would be a great help, but she was now sitting in a chair lightly bouncing a still whimpering Marie.

I could certainly wait for them to become available, yet I was desperate to talk to someone _now. _Sighing, I got to my feet and trudged off to the restroom to splash my face with water. It was Christmas! What was I doing acting so down?

"Whoops! Sorry, hun." I jumped back slightly, only half conscious that I'd bumped into someone. I felt my heart give a joyous leap when I realized it was Radha I had approached. She didn't appear to be going anywhere in a hurry… I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Sai was still being amused by Teddy and Austin was absorbed in a conversation with Dad… Well, it was now or never.

"Um, can I talk to you about something?" I asked. She smiled at me beamishly.

"Of course you can. What about?" I've always liked Radha… Being in the same house and year as her, she's always been best of friends with Kathy. Not to mention her mother is Padma Advani (you'd know her as Padma Patil), who was the female Ravenclaw prefect with Dad. Radha has waist length, semi-wavy black hair, deep brown eyes, and, with her Indian heritage, tan skin. When she was younger, her looks were decent, but now she's borderline downright beautiful. She got on well with all of the Uedas, and nobody was disappointed when Austin chose her as his wife.

"It's uh… Guy troubles," I muttered. Radha looked a combination of touched and amused, then led me farther down the hall. I took a deep breath, speaking slowly. "Let's see… So I'm not positive, but I may like this guy. I don't think I should, though… He's kind, and handsome, and talented, and he seems to like me- not as more than a… friend, of course. Our chances together are very low, and he's… too old for me."

Radha nodded gradually, clearly taking in my words. "First things first… Define 'too old' for you."

"Well, I'm 6 years younger than him…"

To my surprise, Radha laughed. "Why, that isn't too old at all! I thought we were talking 8, 10 years here… Sweetie, unless it's, you know, _illegal, _there's no certain age someone has to be for you to love them."

"I suppose you're right… But, we're totally wrong for each other…" I said quietly.

"You certainly came to the perfect person to talk to this about. Honey, when I was at Hogwarts, Austin was every girl's heartthrob. He was cute. He was friendly. He was nice. He was a prefect, and then later Head Boy. His little sister just happened to be one of my only friends. My chances with him were about 3%- they'd be 0 if I wasn't so close to Kathy. Yet, now…" Her gaze turned to Austin, who was now playing peek-a-boo with their petite, tan skinned son. I couldn't help but smile to myself. Blimey, my gradually budding feelings for Professor Dimanche were so similar to a younger Radha's crush on my brother… My blissful grin faltered.

"Hypothetically speaking… What if I had a crush on a _professor_?" I mused slowly. Radha turned back to me.

"Ah, found yourself falling for Leon Dimanche, have you?"

My cheeks flushed pink. "How'd you…-?"

Radha chuckled. "When someone says 'hypothetically speaking,' they're never actually speaking hypothetically. That being said, the only professor at the school that's 6 years older than you is Leon- he's the same age as me, I'm probably entitled to calling him by his first name. Anyway, I say there's no sense in shooting down your feelings. You said you're not sure yet, right? So maybe you don't actually have a crush on him, it's just that French charm working. Just give it time. You never know! I'm sure you're impressing him academically, plus you're a very pretty young girl… He may find himself talking to one of _his _in-laws about crushing on a _student._"

The image of Professor Dimanche worrying over his undying love for me made a strange sensation explode within me, so I automatically wiped the thought from my mind. "Yeah… I'll just give it time. Thanks, Radha… I really appreciate it."

"Anytime." We hugged before rejoining the rest of the family.

As expected, the remainder of the holiday was a blast. There's never a dull moment with a family like mine, especially with a member like Raito. What really made the night memorable, though, was when Radha and Austin announced that if all went according to plan, Sai would be getting a new sibling in a few months. You can only imagine how glad that made me: though Raye is a close second, if I had to choose one of my siblings to receive a Best Parent Award, it would be Austin.

Nevertheless, my mood seemed to plummet as the night carried on. Each time my parents plus all of my siblings kissed their spouses under the mistletoe, my mind instinctively pictured Dimanche and I in their places. It got to the point that when James started kissing a heavily blushing Kathy for about the fifth time, I had to scramble to my feet and leave the room.

This "crush," I knew, was already getting uncontrollable. It was distracting me from quality time with my family on Christmas, which nothing had been able to do before. I glanced over at Radha as she bounced Sai on her lap. She'd said I should just give it time, and I knew she was correct. But how MUCH time? I pondered whether or not it was ridiculous to fear that I'd be in my thirties and still moping over confusing affections for an old Transfiguration professor.


	5. Chapter 5

Something odd I'd noticed was that Professor Dimanche _never _ate in the Great Hall. For the first week- first month, even- I'd thought it just had something to do with new-teacher-nerves, but come January I knew it was suspicious. I didn't have the nerve to ask one of the other professors about it; however, the same could not be said with a certain few of my friends.

One day, Wendy trotted up to me covered from head to toe in snowflakes but grinning broadly. "Hey, Allie, during Herbology, I asked Professor Sprout about Dimanche's _eating habits_," she exclaimed. Had I been drinking at the moment, I certainly would have choked or spit it out.

"You _what!" _We had discussed the topic multiple times, usually when we were at a total loss for things to talk about. We would toss around stupid ideas, such as he had a terrible habit of eating with his mouth open and was embarrassed by it, until someone thought of a better subject. I had no idea any of us seriously considered it! "Well… What did she tell you?" I asked, revolted at my own eagerness, no matter how suppressed.

Wendy's smile faltered, and she furrowed her eyebrows. "Nothing special… She just said he has 'particular preferences toward eating in his classroom.' I was hoping it would be something interesting, like he had a fetish for eating donkey meat. Then again, I don't suppose any of the staff would be eager to tell the students that, huh?"

"Certainly not." Why did my spirits suddenly feel fallen? Was _I _expecting- hoping, maybe- that Professor Dimanche had some inhumane diet? I rolled my eyes at myself, turning back to my Charms homework.

His absences at meals were not the only off thing I noticed about our French professor, though. Every now and then, he would be in _dreadful _moods. I know you're thinking, "Well everybody has bad days!" but this was different. He was like a whole other person on these days. He looked dangerous, as well as paler and a few years older, like a lion trapped in a cage for far too long. His regular greeting was spoken in an irritated voice; he would give us work to do before retreating to his desk, each time grumbling the following French phrase: _"Pourquoi ne puis-je pas le contrôler?"_

After he'd acted like this for about the twentieth time, I made a decision that I knew I would regret but just couldn't resist doing. I took longer than needed to pack up my books, glancing up every few seconds to make sure everyone else was leaving. It wasn't surprising to see all of my peers seemed to be in a hurry to get out of there: someone had been talking while we were supposed to be writing an essay, so Dimanche raised his wand threatening and growled a warning for a detention.

"Professor Dimanche… Has something been bothering you?" I questioned hesitantly once the room was empty. He shot his head up to face me, a frightening look in his eyes.

"It is nozzing zat should concern you," he muttered. I realize I should have left it at that, but I was stubbornly determined.

"Let me rephrase that… Is there anything I can do to help you?" I spoke slowly.

"Are you unable to 'ear? I said, it is nozzing zat should concern you!" he hissed. What I tell you? Like a totally different person.

"I know it _shouldn't _concern me… But it does." I took a few small yet daring steps forward. "I'm sure everyone else just sees anger and irritation when you're like this, but me? I can see pain. Normally I wouldn't be acting so… disrespectful, I suppose, to a professor, but I'm really worried about you…"

An intimidating silence swirled around the room for a few moments until Professor Dimanche let out a deep sigh. For an incredibly brief moment, he looked me over like he wanted to- as crazy as this sounds- attack me, but he soon stared down at his desk while rubbing his forehead. His voice sounded as if it caused him much frustration to speak. "I appreciate your concern… Truly I do. But some zings should not involve students as yourself. Do you understand?"

I was reluctant to answer. "Yes… I understand." My eyes flickered downward, and widened when they landed on Dimanche's arm. He always, _always _wore full length sleeves, but at the moment he had his folded slightly up. What I saw on his pale skin filled me with terror and sympathy. "Professor… What's that on your arm?" I whispered.

Alarm exploded on Dimanche's face. There was something else in his expression… Hatred, it seemed, and… was it possible that there could be _hunger?_ He hastened to pull his sleeve down, clambering to his feet so quickly his chair actually fell backwards. "Get out of my classroom! OUT!" he bellowed. Feeling as if every bone in my body had turned to dust and my heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings, I spun on my heel, narrowly scooped up my bag, and bolted out the door as quickly as I could manage. I could understand why he'd be upset, but I couldn't see why _murder _flashed across his eyes when I saw cuts covering his arm.

I knew I had to tell someone about this whole thing. There was something terribly wrong with Professor Dimanche, and I was determined to figure out what. So, at breakfast the next morning, I pushed my waffles aside and whipped out my parchment and quill. I spent all of the night prior deciding who I'd reach out to, and decided to confide in my father. First, though, I was going to send a simple letter to my second oldest sister. It read:

Dear Kathy,

How are you doing? I hope that Marie, James, and you are all in good health. I have a quick question to ask you, since you're fluent in French: what does "Pourquoi ne puis-je pas le controler" mean? I've heard Professor Dimanche say it heatedly multiple times, and was curious about its meaning.

I hope to see you over Spring Break, if not ,then in the summer.

Your sister,

Alex

I read it over quickly, stuffing it into an envelope. I would have to head up to the Owlery later. Setting it aside, I took out a fresh piece of parchment and dipped my quill into a little ink pot. I chewed on the quill's feather, pondering how to word it. After a minute or so, I began:

Dear Dad,

I miss you! You and Mum doing well, I hope? Now, I'm concerned about my Transfiguration professor- you know, Leon Dimanche- and was wondering if you'd be able to help me out a little. I think he may be ill or something… Let me paint the picture for you: Normally, he's completely wonderful, but every once in a while he gets really irritable. I don't mean a got-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed irritable; I mean he's like a totally different person. He's always rather pale, but when he's in one of those "moods" his skin is almost colorless. He always wears his sleeves long, but I once caught a glimpse of his arm. I noticed that it was covered in scratches- well, I assume they were scratches, I only saw them for a second. Perhaps it was some sort of odd rash. When he realized I saw these marks, anyway, he immediately covered them and had an expression like he wanted to maul something. Another thing I found odd is that he has never once eaten in the Great Hall. According to Wendy, Professor Sprout said he eats in his office every day.

Please don't get the wrong idea about Professor Dimanche- he's not a bad man at all, and is honestly my favorite teacher. I'm just worried he's sick, and if you happen to know what's wrong I hope I can help him.

Love always,

Alexandra

I reread the letter several times, making sure I'd included everything I needed. Finally pleased, I nodded to myself and sealed it in its own envelope. Still having not touched my breakfast, I swung my bag over my shoulder and headed off to have a school owl send my letters.

For the remainder of the day, I was abnormally quiet. Most kids zone out when they have something on their minds, but me? I'm the total opposite: when something is bothering me, I zone _in. _In other words, I concentrate extra hard on everything. I could tell my friends glanced at me nervously every once in a while, but never once did they ask what was distracting me. Frankly, I was glad: it would be a bit suspicious if I said "I think dear Professor Dimanche has fallen under the weather, and I'm beating myself up over it."

I acted out of it- well, _into _it I should say- until my letters received responses two days later. I decided to open Kathy's first, feeling confident it'd be much shorter.

Dear Alex,

It's lovely hearing from you! Marie, James and I are all doing just fine. Marie is still as stubborn as an ox, but blimey do I love her! Now, about your translation. Loosely, it means "Why can I not control it." Has Leon- or Professor Dimanche, if you prefer- been acting odd lately?

Love,

Kathy

Well, that was just about as dramatic as I assumed it would be. "_Why can I not control it…"_ The words played repeatedly in my mind. So Dimanche was aware of his random anger management problems, and it seemed he didn't approve of them… Hm. Biting my lip lightly, I slid my finger under the wax sealing the letter from my dad. Reading his response made me feel icy inside:

Alexandra,

I read your letter over 8 times, having Jones- my partner Healer- and Raye read it twice themselves. Don't worry, nobody but they, I, and your mother know about Dimanche's situation. We haven't been able to come to a positive conclusion, but I do have a hunch. I'm going to talk it over with Raito to see what he thinks about it. Darling, I'll tell you this much: do not stay after class with Dimanche, even when he's in a good mood, and avoid being alone with him at all costs. Stay a good distance away from him unless it's required for class work. Even if he's your favorite, and even if he's younger, still be respectful to him- if anything, be a tad more polite to him than any other professor. Please don't question these precautions: I'm advising that you follow them because I love you and want you to be safe. I do trust that Dimanche is a fine man, but until my hunch is proven false, I beg that you listen to my suggestions.

-Dad

For a moment, I just stared at his words, my eyes unregistering. I was going to obey Dad's directions, no doubt about that: he always signed his letters with "Love" before "Dad," so I knew he was very serious about it… But why had he set them out to me? The voice I close to always listen to- my conscience, I presume- told me to be patient with my father and ask no questions like a good girl. Still, that obnoxious, rebellious voice in the back of my head was furious, desperately craving answers and hating Dad for giving me precautions to follow without stating a legitimate reason why. I sighed.; the fact that he just wanted me to be safe should be good enough… So why wasn't it?

Not wanting my friends to be worrisome over me, I turned back to my normal self after scribbling a "Thank you, and ask Dad for more about Professor Dimanche" and an "Alright, I'll do that" to Dad. Well, for the most part, at least. Every moment that wasn't used up studying, doing homework, or going to class was spent in the library. I searched through every single book on diseases I could find, even exhausting a few about curses, spells, and charms gone wrong. Nonetheless, after 5 days of this I was still at level 1.

Realizing I had opened a book I'd already looked through 3 times previous, I groaned and fell back onto a mushy armchair- if I hadn't been so frustrated, I'd have enjoyed the comfort. I went over all the clues I had gathered in my head:

**-Leon Dimanche was always quite pale.**

**-He had strange cut-like markings on his arm, which he was incredibly defensive of.**

**-Every once in a while, and randomly so, he'd be in this horrid mood that made him seem like a completely different, almost evil, person.**

**-When he was in one of these moods, he would mutter "Why can I not control it?" in French.**

**-He never ate in the Great Hall.**

**-Dad forbid me from being alone or too close to him.**

I even added something I'd looked over previously:

**-Back in December, he was playing his violin in the Forbidden Forest wearing just a light jacket over his regular shirt even though it was only about 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside.**

Some things, though, still just didn't fit. Like, why would Dad say he was going to confirm his suspicion with _Raito, _of all people? He had no experience with…- At that moment, time seemed to come to an abrupt halt. My body felt like it had been turned to stone. Dad had not had a career as a Healer or even a Muggle doctor for his entire employed life… After all, what was the profession he'd passed down for Raito for a while? Care of Magical Creatures Professor…

Barely aware of myself, I jumped to my feet and browsed a completely different section of shelves than I'd searched for the past few days. I took out all sorts of books, both informative and about theories, reading up about every beast from Acromantulas to werewolves. I paid special close attention, though, to human-like creatures. I even ended up sifting through old Defense Against the Dark Arts essays and History of Magic notes. Every piece of information I read seemed to point to something…

It was about 1 in the morning when I finally plopped down into a chair again, not caring that Madam Pince was glaring at me over her spectacles (we were alone in the library). I ran a slightly shaking hand through my bangs. There was no way… Positively no way, even if all the signs pointed in that direction… I thought about the warm tingly feeling I got inside that one time when he'd ruffled my hair. How the music he created with his violin was a whole other type of magic. How he seemed to just _know _how to get across to students and teach them the right way. That beautiful smile of his. His seducing French accent. The possibility that I was falling for him, despite his being a teacher and my being a student…

So it was official: there was no way I would accept to believe that Leon Dimanche was a vampire.


	6. Chapter 6

I knew I'd go insane if I didn't talk to anyone about that assumption of mine, but I also was aware that I downright wasn't able to. I couldn't write to anyone, because what if the letter was somehow intercepted? Most adults I told wouldn't believe me, plus surely the other professors would know if he was a blood sucking creature of the night… Even if I told any of my closest friends and had them promise to keep it a secret, the fact that your professor is a vampire just wasn't something anyone could keep to themselves. No matter whom I told or how I went about sharing it, Professor Dimanche would lose his job. Besides… What if I was wrong? It would all be for nothing, and Dimanche would never forgive me. If he hated me, even if he was sent all the way back to France, I'd never be able to live with myself.

It took a lot of effort, but I managed to shove the thoughts of my theory to the back of my head when I was in class or with friends. In fact, I was probably acting more like my regular self than ever. No more zoning out/in, no more cancelling plans to hang out, no more returning to my dorm looking uncertain and a bit jittery… However, when I was alone, the only thing- or person, I should say- on my mind was Leon Dimanche. Thinking about him the same way was nearly impossible… Still, I couldn't kill the affection that lingered for him.

During Transfiguration classes, I participated just as much as I did in every other subject while following Dad's advice. I prayed Dimanche hadn't noticed that all of a sudden I spoke to him only to ask about his dad and to answer or inquire a question; I knew, though, that this was ridiculous. Surely he had figured something went wrong that caused me to keep a regular distance from him… Wouldn't anyone? More than once I noticed he observed my class work longer than the other students', and caught him eyeing me from his desk. Or maybe I'm just paranoid.

About a month passed after I'd come to my conclusion, and I realized that keeping it bottled up in the corner of my mind was gradually chipping away at my sanity. I had still received no word from Dad with any further news on the issue, let alone a confirmation of my suspicions. The only thing that made me think I was on the right track was that when Mum sent me her usual box of heart shaped cookies for Valentine's Day, she put "Be careful" above her signature in her note. Finally deciding I'd explode if I didn't talk to someone, I made perhaps the most naïve, stupid decision of my life.

"Professor Dimanche…?" I called in an upsettingly shaky voice, my fist barely making contact with the door to his classroom.

"Come in," he responded casually. Taking a silent deep breath, I turned the doorknob and entered. A tired smile appeared on Professor Dimanche's face. "I 'ave not seen you 'ere by yourself in a while. 'Ave I somehow upset you, Alexandra?"

I hoped it wasn't too obvious that his calling me by my first name sent a slight shudder through my body. "N-no, no you haven't… It's just…" I abruptly quickened my tone. "Professor, I need to talk to you."

Dimanche motioned at one of the many empty desks, sliding to his feet and sitting upon his own. "Zen do not 'esitate to speak."

"When you know what I want to discuss, you'll wish I hesitated," I muttered too quietly for him to hear. My heart was beating so fast I could barely hear myself think; nonetheless, I drew in another deep breath and timidly lifted my gaze. "Professor… I-I have a… _theory _about you, and, it's been bothering me immensely. I gathered some evidence, a-and instead of going through it all I'll just get to what I'm wondering…" I glanced anxiously around the room as if expecting eavesdroppers to be behind the corner. Even though nobody was there, I proceeded in a whisper. "Professor, are you… a _vampire?_"

Never in my life have I seen a smile fade as suddenly as Dimanche's did. The tenseness of the silence that swirled around the room was so strong, you could almost reach out and touch it. My heart had either stopped beating, or was pumping so rapidly I couldn't feel it. "I-I haven't told anyone, I swear on the grave of Albus Dumbledore… Back in December, I told my dad about my concerns for you but I never told him what I'd concluded… A-and I knew that if I told anyone, they'd get you fired or think I'd lost my marbles… If you don't believe me, y-you can use a truth serum," I insisted desperately.

"No, zere will be no need for zat… I believe you," Dimanche whispered slowly after another apprehensive silence. "So you zink I am a monster, non?"

I shook my head instantaneously. "No! Well, I mean, I do think you're a _vampire, _but not a _monster _per se… You're still the same professor I've known since September, I just…" I halted, my eyes so wide they were beginning to hurt. "W-wait, are you saying you _are _a vampire?"

For a moment, Dimanche hesitated. "I believe I can trust you… So oui: your assumption is correct. Well… Partially. I will not tell you everyzing, just zat I am not entirely a vampire. I just 'ave ze occasional bloodlust."

Even though I was the one who had formed such a theory, it took a moment to digest that I was right. "So when you're in one of those dreadful moods… You're just wanting blood and frustrated that you can't have any?" I inferred.

Looking mildly surprised, Dimanche nodded. "Right. Obviously, attacking a student would be ze absolute worst thing…" Very leisurely, he pulled up his sleeve. So what I had glimpsed that one night was not a strange rash: covering his arm from an inch above his wrist almost up to his shoulder was unmistakably cuts. "When I get ze urge for blood… I simply make an incision on my arm, swallow a drop of my own blood, and feel content until ze next craving," he explained quietly. I didn't even realize that I had covered my mouth with my hand, or that I had made a few steps over to Dimanche.

"Bloody heck, that's horrible… It must hurt an awful lot…"

Clearly, this was not the reply Dimanche was expecting. "I 'ave gotten used to it after a while," he murmured.

"Still… You must feel terrible, being frowned upon by so many people. Being seen as a filthy monster…" Gryffindor-worthy courage suddenly flowing through me, I stretched my hand up (with a little help from tippy-toes) and pressed my palm against his cheek. It was an odd sensation… His bristly facial hair was one thing, but his skin was another. Unlike that sparkly Edward Cullen was described, he didn't feel icy, yet my touch certainly was not met with human warmth. Really, his skin lacked temperature: not warm, yet not cold. "I'm weird, though. I don't think lowly of you in the least. In fact… If you ever need to, you can… You can suck _my _blood." As if to prove my insane sincerity, I used my free hand to brush my hair away from my neck.

All of a sudden, so much fury flashed across Dimanche's gray eyes that for a second they seemed red. I'm positively certain that I saw the tip of his tongue lick his lips as he tightly grasped my wrist. "So what, you zink I am so low zat I would bite an innocent child! And you show me your neck, do you zink zat is ze only part of ze body a vampire would drink from, _if _I was zat cruel? 'Ow DARE you mock me!"

"What? No, no! Professor, I wasn't-" Before I could finished my high-pitched retort, Dimanche yanked my hand off of his face, grabbed hold of my other wrist, and slammed me back against a wall. I was met with an atrocious pain in the back of my head, causing a cry to erupt from my throat and my eyes to shut tightly. They reopened to see a Leon Dimanche much different from the one I knew: his golden-brown hair was askew, and there was a hungry, almost maniacal demeanor coating his face. I squirmed desperately, unable to believe I'd entered myself in such a nightmare. Completely forgetting my always-respect-teachers policy and zoning in on my defensive instincts, I kneed him in the one place that a man would never want to be kicked. In the split second during which he flinched, I ducked and bolted toward the door faster than I'd ever run in my life.

"A…Alexandra, no, wait!" Dimanche cried. A large part of me wanted to obey him, but I managed to ignore the desire. I had one foot out the door when his pale hand was once again around my wrist. I spun around, wand whipped out threateningly, to see him appearing both ashamed and pleading. "D-désolé, I should not 'ave… Come back tomorrow, s'il vous plait, and I will explain everyzing you want…"

Positive I looked terrified out of my mind, I tugged my hand free and dashed off down the hall. The remaining throbbing in my head reminded me of the despicable truth: he had attacked me… Professor Dimanche attacked me… I slowed down once I reached the staircases, breathing heavily and gripping the back of my head. He looked so sincere when he requested that I return tomorrow… I knew that would be a mistake, but let me tell you something: when you truly care about someone, turning down anything they ask for is impossible, with no exceptions.


	7. Chapter 7

With much difficulty, I managed to act as if nothing had occurred between Dimanche and me. Although I was relieved that I would never have to see him until Transfiguration class, something inside me desperately yearned to drop everything and go visit him. The days went by in a sort of blur; every few minutes, I would glance around a corner with the strange idea that Leon Dimanche would be standing there. In the event that he was… What would I even do? Would my instincts make me run in fear of being attacked, or would my naïve feelings cause me to approach him?

The answer to my wonders came 2 days before Transfiguration class. There was absolutely no way I'd be able to concentrate or relax in class if I didn't come and talk to Dimanche like he asked… So, after completing all my homework and saying "good night" to all my friends, I headed down to the Transfiguration classroom.

"Professor…? It's Alexandra…" I whispered, my voice quivering as badly as my body. I had barely pulled my fist away when the beautiful sound of melancholy violin music halted and the door was swung wide open. Leon Dimanche stood before me, violin in hand, looking a combination of surprised, relieved, and nervous.

"Come in, s'il vous plait," he murmured. Nodding sheepishly, I took a reluctant step inside. It's amazing, how a room you'd always associated with great pleasure can suddenly fill you with such a feeling of dread. Almost in slow motion, I took a seat atop a desk. I expected Dimanche to sit on his own like usual, yet instead he sat beside me and set the violin to his left. "First zings first: I am incredibly regretful for what I did ze ozer day… I-I just…" To my shock, a light blush swept across his cheeks. "I 'ave found zat you seem to 'ave absolutely delectable blood… Seeing you is like walking into a room filled wiz ze scent of freshly baked cookies. But I would razzer die zan bite you, so I get… uncontrollably angry. I realize zat makes me sound like I 'ave very little control over-"

"Professor, stop…" My voice came out relatively choked. Still moving leisurely, I turned to face him; I offered a feeble smile. "I… I forgive you. I can tell you feel horrible about attacking me, and except for a bruise on my head there was really no harm done..." Blushing, I clasped my hands in my lap like a timid little school girl. "And I swear I wouldn't mind if you drank my blood… As long as it quenches your thirst."

Dimanche stared at me like I was an angel sent from the heavens. "Zat is incredibly selfless of you, Alexandra… But I must refuse. Your blood is, to me, so sweet zat it is nearly irresistible… If I start, I am afraid I might lose control and never stop." Touching his thumb to my chin, he caressed my cheek with his index finger. "I would not want to risk hurting such a precious young lady."

My face burned so red that you could probably roast marshmallows off of it. "Well, thank you… But, I have to ask: if you find my blood so delicious, how come you've only freaked out that one time? Why have you been so okay with seeing me alone?"

"I can only detect ze, for lack of a word, 'scent' of blood during zose awful bloodlusts of mine- I was experiencing one when I… attacked you. If I am not craving ze blood, its presence is like a fruit fly innocently buzzing around ze room," he explained.

I nodded slowly, my brain not processing at its regular speed. "Alright, I get it… But, so, would you… Would you mind explaining two things for me?"

"Of course. I will tell you anyzing you wish… You deserve it," Dimanche assured in an almost eager tone. I brought up the courage to look into his eyes: flickering across them was a combination of sincerity, relief, a sort of willing determination and, unmistakably, affection. Seeing this made my heart give a fluttering lurch and caused me to avert my gaze.

"Well, er… I guess let's start with, how come you don't eat in the Great Hall?" Ever since learning Dimanche was legitimately a vampire, my brain had filled itself with images of him with his teeth latched onto the neck of a human body, sucking the poor person dry. Now was the time to discover the truth.

"Zat is a logical place to begin…" He chuckled humorlessly. "I suppose you 'ave been imagining me drinking from a secret stock of human bodies?" My eyes widened. What, were vampires psychic too? Or did he just know me that well? The thought brought more pinkness into my cheeks. "You see, even zough I only have bloodlusts occasionally and will eat human foods- fruits, vegetables, grains, sugary zings- being a sort-of-vampire does cause me to only eat my meat _extra _rare. And when I say rare, I mean zat cooked for any more zan 10 minutes is _much_ too well done. Of course I do not 'ave meat for every single meal, but I do prefer not to be wiz so many people in one room."

Well, that was certainly a _lot _better than the images my mind produced. "Okay, that makes sense, actually. You don't want people losing their lunch- or breakfast or dinner- from seeing a super pink steak, right?"

"Exactly." A form of longing fell upon Dimanche's face, much unlike the almost rabid one he'd had when he pushed me against that wall. I deemed it best to ignore this.

"Alright, so there's one more thing I'm curious about: how are you only _partially _a vampire?" I inquired.

"I saw zat one coming… Ready for a story?"

"Story? Oh, I have to be tucked in with a teddy bear if it's story time." I grinned up at him, hoping for a pleasant response. Fortunately, he laughed before leaning backward and staring up at the ceiling.

"So… My mère was not a one-'undred-percent pureblood, zough she came very close, and my père was a Muggle man. Zey were madly in love, and my père was fascinated wiz ze mystical world unbeknownst to Muggles. I was used to 'earing tales of adventures zey had togezzer, going dragon watching and listening to merpeople songs… Zey ended such journeys when I was born and settled on reading about ze places zey wished to visit and creatures zey wanted to learn about. 'Owever, when I was around 8 to 9 years old, ze zree of us took a trip to Romania. You see, my fazzer was always especially fascinated wiz vampires, and wished to meet one up close. He did… and ended up turning into a vampire himself.

"Not aware zat he had been bitten, my mozzer and I assumed he had just fallen ill. We managed to make it back to France, but by ze time we got home my fazzer had become a full vampire. Zis came as quite a shock, for we zought vampires were _born, _not_ made… _But it turns out some vampires 'ave venom in zeir fangs zat turns its victims into more of ze species.

"Ze day after we returned, I 'ad went off to ze market. I came 'ome to see… To see my mère laying pale, wide-eyed, and lifeless on ze floor, her wand clenched in her unmoving hand and a 'uge gash on 'er neck. My père, 'e was…" I swear I saw tears jump into his eyes here; it was all I could do to lean over and grip his hand gingerly. "…leaning over 'er wiz his new fangs buried in 'er revealed flesh." The picture in my head was utterly disturbing, but I managed to contain my disgust. After all, poor Dimanche had experience it firsthand… I was in no position to complain.

"Of course, I was horrified," he continued somberly. "Apparently, 'is want for blood was greater for 'is love for 'is family, because before I could react 'e lunged at me. I was quick, zough: his fangs only scraped me." Using the hand that I wasn't holding, he brushed the hair away from his neck. Sure enough, instead of two puncture wounds, there was a single thin slash. "After zat incident, 'e contained 'is hunger for blood… But zat did not 'elp with my fear. I was so relieved to begin my term at Beauxbatons… My teachers were so kind to me, despite my affliction… Like you, zey were aware but kept it secret."

"O-oh, wow… I don't… _Wow…_" I whispered, squeezing his hand tighter. It was silent between us for a few seconds. "I guess I lied when I said I only wanted to know two things… I have one more question. Why are you telling me all of this…? How can you be so sure you can trust me?"

Dimanche smiled softly at me. "I just 'ave a very good feeling about you. Never 'ave I met someone like you, Alexandra… From ze first day, you showed kindness to me zat no ozzer student did. Plus, I…" There was a pause. "You are lovely, you are bright, you are an excellent student… I was _truly _enchanted to meet you."

My heart was beating rapidly. I heard similar things more often than I'd prefer, so why did it feel so _different _when Dimanche told me? Before I could think too much into it, my eyes widened as I realized that Dimanche had gotten closer to me. His eyes were closed lightly… There was barely any distance between us… What was happening…! My question was soon answered when his lips touched mine so gently I barely even felt their moist, warm pressure. His eyes opened sluggishly, and he flashed me an affectionate smile; it was then I acknowledged that my expression was frozen in shock. In the next instant, Dimanche was on his feet standing a foot away from me, agony and shame in his expression. He moved his mouth frantically, but no words came out.

Finally regaining control of myself, I pushed myself off the desk and took a couple timid strides toward him. "Professor… What was that?" I breathed, looking him full in the face.

"I… I 'ave no idea, surely you must 'ate me now, 'ow could I-"

"Hate you? No, I couldn't," I insisted. I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying the side of my head against his chest. "Tell me, please… I'm not just a student to you, am I?"

"Non…" Leon- how could I stand to call him by his last name anymore when he had become my first kiss?- hugged me to him, closing his eyes again. "It is wrong, absolutely wrong, but, 'ow could I? You are… _more _zan special, Alexandra."

More than special… I liked that. Especially coming out of Leon's mouth. "Maybe it _is _wrong, but… Sometimes wrongs are just misread rights." I looked up at him so that my chin was pressed against his chest. "You know, it bothers me that you have to cut yourself just to please your craving for blood. My dad is a doctor, he works with blood all the time… I'm sure he could hook you up with some."

Blinking at my change of subject, Leon opened his eyes and smiled slightly. "Zat would be nice, yes. And while we are rapidly switching topics… 'Ow about you call me _Leon_ when we are alone togezzer?"

"Yes Professor Dimanche," I replied in a sickeningly sweet voice. Chuckling, I said, "Sure, Leon." Giving him a final squeeze, I stepped away and gathered up my bag. "I should be going now… Good night, Prof- Leon."

"Good night, Alexandra." He appeared like he had something more to say, so I waited. Blushing and showing the most gorgeous smile I have ever seen in my entire 17 years, he whispered, "Je t'aime." It felt like a balloon of confetti had exploded inside my chest. That was one piece of French I understood quite well. Flashing a smile that reflected my thoughts, I turned and trotted out of the room. The moment I entered the hallway, I realized another one of my suspicions about Leon Dimanche had been proven true. Here's a hint: it has to do with being in love.


	8. Chapter 8

Being kissed by Leon made me feel like I was floating in midair for the next following days. I kept replaying the moment in my mind, forcing the memory to be as crystal clear as possible. He had kissed me so gently that the short, rough whiskers on his face tickled instead of feeling scratchy. His lips… They weren't lacking in temperature like the other parts of his skin, and tasted like French vanilla coffee. Childishly, I wished he would let me experience again. But would he? Had he regretted his actions? The overriding of these fluttery thoughts caused Leon to slam his hand against my desk and remind me in a voice so soft it was intimidating to do my work in Transfiguration class. Blushing, I muttered "Sorry, Professor Dimanche," groped the desk for my wand, and hastened to participate.

At the end of class, Leon sent us off with his usual dismissal: "Soyez sage," which is pronounced _swy-ay-sasch. _Naturally, I hung back, hopping over to the professor's side the moment we became alone. My eagerness slipped away, though, as I realized how ill planned this encounter was on my part. "So, what you tell as at the end of every class… What does it mean?" I began meekly.

"Ah, it means 'be wise.' In French, of course," he answered, grinning gently at me. My eyes rested on his mouth for a few seconds, flickering away so quickly once I realized myself that it made me dizzy. Leon chuckled under his breath, ruffling my hair. If that was supposed to help, it didn't: all it did was make my legs feel like jelly. My eyes wandered up to meet Leon's, and I once again was faced with the question of whether or not he was psychic. "You are zinking about ze day when I gave you a kiss, non?"

I nodded, gulping silently. "Y-yeah, I was…" I lowered my voice to a squeaky whisper, positive I was going to collapse any second now. "I really enjoyed it…"

Leon sighed, sadness washing over his calm expression. "I was afraid you would say zat… Alexandra, I never should 'ave done such a zing. It was incredibly inappropriate, and-"

"But I'm in love with you!" The words fell out of my mouth before I could even acknowledge that I had them in my head. I slapped one hand over my lips as if that would make me swallow the statement, but it was too late to take it back. Seeing as I'd reached a point of no return, I sighed into my palm and slid my hand away. "A teacher-student relationship is wrong, I'm aware of that… But I'm technically already of adult age, and it will be perfectly legal and everything once I'm graduated… If we _just can't_ be together, I-I'll still love you…" I offered a half smile. "And not just because you're handsome and French."

Returning my feeble smile, Leon caressed his fingers across my cheek. "Well, I must admit I cannot 'elp but love you as well, mon chérie. Still…" He sighed again, bringing his hand away and taking a partial step backwards. "Even if you are old enough… Even if it will be fine when you graduate… Even if we show our affection in secret, it still cannot work out." He gripped the edge of his desk, his fingernails beginning to dig into the wood. "I 'ad a 'orrible nightmare last night. We were 'appily togezzer, about to share anozzer kiss… But why would I go for your lips, when your neck was so close and ever so tempting? My conscience was absent, making me feel not the tiniest bit of regret when I changed my course at ze last second and dug my fangs into your skin. Ze blood tasted delectable, even in a dream…" He was now quivering, his nails leaving visible marks in his desk. "You 'ad such a blissful 'appiness on your face when you zought I was going to kiss you… Ze expression was still present when I sucked out so much blood zat you… you _died._"

For a few moments, it was silent. How does one react to being told someone had a dream about them killing you? I drew in a deep breath, deciding on my response. "I… I could help you learn to control your urge to bite me."

"But _'ow_?" It was obvious from his tone that Leon was completely incredulous. This didn't crush my spirits, though. In fact, it just made my mind work faster.

"When someone is trying to go on a diet, they try other foods, right? Like I said, my dad works with blood all the time… He DID have some hunch about you, so if he was guessing correctly he'd know you're a vampire… Over Spring Break, I could ask him if he could donate blood to you. If you have a bloodlust around me, you can just drink what he gives you! I could visit you every day, and help you grow accustomed to being around me without wanting to bite me." The speed at which I developed this plan shocked me.

"Zat is insane, Alexandra… Zough it just might work," Leon told me with a ghost of a smile after he thought the idea over. "I do 'ave a couple concerns, 'owever… Zere is no way I will be able to control it from ze beginning. What if I attack you?"

I bit my lip lightly, absently glancing at my wand. "Would you give me permission to use self defense…?"

"You can catch me on fire if you like, as long as you are safe," Leon assured me softly. "And, second: people will become suspicious if you come 'ere every day… What will be your excuse?"

This one I had to think over for a few seconds. When I came to a conclusion, though, I snapped my fingers. "You could teach me a little bit of French. I _have _been wanting to learn it, and if someone cares enough that they ask me to prove I've been learning something with you, I could tell them."

Leon nodded, his smile making itself more present. "Oui, zat could work… So 'alf ze time you will be 'elping me get used to being around you, and ze ozzer 'alf I will teach you some français?"

I grinned. "Oui oui, monsieur."

With a short laugh, Leon waggled his finger at me. "First zings first: French people do _not _say 'oui' twice in a row. Zat is a stereotype."

I nodded sharply. "Got it, sorry! Er… Désolé, I mean."

"Per'aps we should find somezing else for me to teach you, at zis rate you will 'ave ze entire language down in a couple months!" The utter joy in Leon's made him appear my age or younger. I caught myself staring at him for a few seconds, so I jumped and quickly averted my gaze. Leon chuckled, taking my chin gingerly in his thumb and pointer finger then forcing me to look at him. "You truly are ze most beautiful girl I 'ave ever met," he whispered. My cheeks turned pinker yet; my actions working quicker than my mind for once, I stood on my toes and gave Leon a kiss.

French vanilla coffee… His lips still tasted of it. Only this time, I got a much better sample.


	9. Chapter 9

Tragedy. It's humorlessly funny how it seems to strike when you're least expecting it, and feeling at your best. I was having the greatest month of my life: My grades were turning out phenomenal- much better than I expected them to be. The daily visits with Leon were a success for the most part (he only tried to bite me once, and he managed to catch himself before I had to do anything defensive), and many of them ended with a breathtaking kiss. I was receiving hilarious letters from Kathy about her and James's parenting adventures every week. Kelly hadn't made any of her jealous snaps at me in a long time; in fact, I was getting on with my friends better than I could ever remember. We were all great study buddies for each other, making serious progress and then goofing around afterwards. The five of us started brainstorming plans for the future, all of them revolving around staying in contact. Life was almost as perfect as possible.

And then everything came crashing down.

"Hey, have you seen Wendy? I missed her at breakfast, and I still don't see her," I commented to Cecilia at lunch one day.

"Nah, I haven't, actually… You usually hear her before you see her, anyway," she responded without looking up from her meal. Still, I could detect an edge of concern in that cool, almost apathetic voice of hers. Biting my lip, I selected a sandwich from a platter and brought it up to my lips. It ended up on the floor, though, for Kelly had come running over and screamed the names of her Ravenclaw friends. Tears were streaming down her face, and a frightened-looking Jenna was in her wake.

"Guys… _Guys… _Did you hear? Do you know where Wendy is?" Kelly cried. Heartbeat increasing, the fact that a perfectly good sandwich became wasted was completely wiped from my mind. Our redheaded friend took our silence as a "no." "She's in the hospital wing… You know she's always had these breathing problems…" It was true. When Wendy laughed too hard or got too worked up, we would have to make ourselves dead serious and help calm her down because she would start wheezing and coughing horribly. "W-well, apparently she woke up this morning and was blue in the face because she couldn't breathe, so her roommates took her up to the hospital wing… Madam Pomfrey just diagnosed her with some Muggle disease called lung, uh… It's a horoscope sign, I know that, er… Lung-"

"_Cancer?_" I finished for her.

"Y-yeah, yeah, that's it…" It felt like I had been run over by a train immediately after being shot in the heart. Lung cancer… Unfortunately, it made sense. Long story short, her wizard father left her Muggle mother when Wendy was really little. Her mom is a great woman- I like her a lot- but she has one major problem: an addiction to cigarettes. She smokes at least half a pack a day, so poor Wendy has no choice but to be a huge secondhand smoker.

"Is… is she gonna be okay?" I whispered. Kelly shrieked in her throat and started sobbing into her hands, so Jenna answered.

"They aren't sure…" she murmured. She lowered her voice so that I could just barely hear it above the din of the Great Hall: "But signs point to no."

My meetings with Leon were cut short over the next week, because I spent the first half of the time I usually designated to him up in the hospital wing, visiting Wendy. It was pointless, technically, since she was resting every time one of us came; still, I felt it was a rightful gesture. I instinctively took on a motherly personality every time I saw her sleeping helplessly, breathing only because she had a machine attached to her. I would sit by her bedside for up to 10 minutes at a time, holding her hand or brushing strands of blonde hair out of her face or whispering comforting words to her. I would head down to Leon's classroom hesitantly, barely putting any energy into repeating the French alphabet. Seeing him used to create a fire of eagerness inside of me, but that had reduced to a single ember. Remember this: when you fall in love with someone, _never _put them before friends. Friendship lasts forever; love usually ends in divorce.

A little less than a week after Wendy had been hospitalized, on a Saturday morning, I skipped breakfast and proceeded straight to the hospital wing. Cecilia silently followed after me, and Kelly was already there. Jenna? I had no idea where she was.

When I pushed the door open, I was met with a completely unexpected sight. Kelly was sitting in the middle of the floor, curled up in a ball, her face buried in her knees and shaking with dry sobs. Patient wise, the room was completely empty. A minuscule spark of hope ignited in my chest- perhaps Wendy was finally well enough to return to her dorm- but the feeling was overpowered by the dread of what I feared yet knew was truth.

"Girls… I'm horribly sorry…" croaked of Madam Pomfrey, whose eyes were puffy with held back tears. It was in a choked whisper that she delivered the most atrocious, heart wrenching news I have ever heard in my life: "Your friend Wendelyn… She has… passed on."

I vaguely noticed Kelly flinch in my peripheral vision, and that Cecilia started murmuring away in Portuguese (that's a nervous habit of hers). No… _No… _Wendy, my Hufflepuff buddy… The one who always acted like a 6 year old but just had the type of personality that made it impossible for you to get mad at her… The girl who never gave up faith in anything… Wendy could make any situation brighter… So why could she not be here now as I was so devastated that my mouth went dry, tears instantaneously started pouring down my cheeks, and I had to bolt out of the room?

As I ran aimlessly down the hallway for a few minutes, I thought I just wanted to be alone. I was wrong, though: I needed to pour my heart out into someone. So who better than Leon? I backtracked down a few halls, found his classroom, and dashed inside without even knocking. Leon sat on his desk with his violin perched under his chin, playing a tune that sounded like funeral music. How horribly appropriate.

"Alex…? What is wrong?" Leon asked gently, setting down his instrument beside him. I flung my arms around his neck, weeping shamelessly into his chest. He hugged me back so gingerly that I could barely feel his touch.

"Wendy…" The thought and reality of what I was about to say hurt so badly that I actually cringed. "W-Wendy, Wendy's _dead,_" I sobbed. I couldn't see anything except the darkness of my eyelids, but I knew Leon's eyes had widened and that his shoulders has slackened…

"Non… Oh, Alexandra, zat is… _Non…_" He hugged me tighter, pressing his lips against the top of my head for a good 5 seconds before proceeding to stroke my hair. I was far too mortified to feel bubbly at this romantic gesture.

"She… Sh-she was _such _a sweet girl, a-and only 17… She couldn't die y-yet, she wasn't ready, we had so many _plans…_" I gripped Leon's shirt so firmly that my knuckles were probably white, and I was shaking so badly I was practically vibrating. "W-we were gonna be each others' bridesmaids… We were gonna l-live in neighboring towns, if not the sa-same one… She said she'd name a d-daughter after me, a-and that our kids would be great friends, and we'd tr-try to work at the same place…" I shook my head, overwhelmed with dizziness, agony, and a pounding headache.

"I am so sorry… She was a magnificent young girl, she will be missed _so _much…" Leon whispered. He slid his hands onto my cheeks, his thumbs in the midst of tear tracks. "Death is a 'orrible zing… Unfortunately, zere is no preventing it. Of course zere is nozzing wrong wiz mourning for a while, but we also must learn to move on." The image of a little Leon crying over his dead mother played in my mind at his words. It was not comforting, however; in fact, it only made me cry harder.

I felt Leon resume stroking my hair, and let his words wash over me like warm water: "Shhh, Alex… I know, it 'urts, I know…" He kissed me on the forehead, and then the tip of the nose. "You can let it all out, just try not to 'urt yourself too much… Shhh, I am 'ere. I 'ave you." He lowered his already soft voice so that it was a nearly inaudible purr. "Je t'aime, Alexandra. Je t'aime." As his lips touched mine, I for once was unable to register whether or not they still tasted like coffee.

I have no idea how I awoke in my bed the next morning, because I ended up crying myself to sleep in Leon's arms.


	10. Chapter 10

I'm not even going to discuss Wendy's funeral. I was in tears through most of it- actually, probably all of it. Kelly broke down so horribly that they actually had to usher her inside, and at the end they sent her to St. Mungo's for a Calming Draught. I knew, though, that that would barely be a temporary relief for her: Wendy was her closest friend, so her death would leave Kelly permanently scarred, never to be the same again.

The whole ordeal was devastating.

Nonetheless, it didn't change the fact that I was going to be graduating soon. I had to use all of my willpower to shove the thoughts of our loss into the back of my head so I could concentrate in class. When the day was over, though, and we were free to think about something besides work and studying, the bitter truth came flying back like a bullet, paralyzing me with agony.

Besides schoolwork, there was only one way of escape, and that was through Leon. He somehow knew just what to say that would make me feel at peace despite everything. Learning French was work, yes, but since I knew it wasn't a necessity it was actually kind of soothing. Besides: deciding I had too much on my hands already, Leon was now stopping lessons early and used the remaining time to work his French charm and hilariously pathetic sense of humor. Plus, I had convinced Dad over Spring Break to send him some blood samples, so the bloodlusts around me were decreasing drastically. Still, no matter how much I loved his company, it was creating a whole new issue. Being with Leon was like a drug: it felt indescribably brilliant for a while, but in the long run it was just harmful.

It came to the point that I actually found myself counting off my problems on my fingers: Wendy was dead, graduation was coming up quick yet I had no certain plans for the future, my grades were gradually becoming shaky, and I felt unconditional love for my Transfiguration professor with nobody to confide in.

As the last day of school grew closer, I began planning on talking to someone about it whenever I wasn't studying for final exams. Dad… There was no chance in that. I'm his little girl, and he demanded since I was little that if I ever do find love, it must be with a man my age or younger. Mum would understand, she's always so supportive, but I'm fairly positive _all _of my relatives would be overprotective of me. So that left me with my friends to consult.

Kelly… That was absolutely hopeless. _She _was absolutely hopeless, the poor girl. I've never seen anyone so consumed by grief in my life, not even on television. We all feared they'd drag her off to St. Mungo's permanently any day now. I could talk to Jenna about anything, _anything, _and she'd understand… Anything except boys, that is. You see, when Jenna was 13, she was taking an innocent stroll through her neighborhood when two guys that looked to be in their 20's cornered and jumped her. Long story short, they ended up cruelly raping. Ever since, Jenna has never walked anywhere alone, has started shaking around males (the only men she'd talk to were professors, yet she was still nervous around them), and would rather jump off the Astronomy Tower than have a boyfriend. When any of us spoke about romance, she shut down and looked remarkably uncomfortable.

So she was out of the question.

That left one person: Cecilia. I briefly wondered if I should just keep the situation to myself, but quickly shot that down: if the fact of my love life remained untold, it would eat me alive. Consequently, I approached Cecilia toward the beginning of June.

My friend was alone in our common room, sitting cross-legged in an armchair and staring out the window at the mountains. I understood why she was so in the clouds: that morning, Kelly's parents had taken her home early. Apparently she was no longer mentally safe, and needed special care. It's nearly impossible to imagine that just a few years ago, Kelly's biggest concern was that she her favorite beauty products were getting more expensive. What a crying shame… And I swear to God that wasn't sarcastic.

"Hey, Cilia… I gotta talk to you about something…" I murmured, hesitantly sitting beside her. She glanced at me, silently acknowledging my presence. I took a deep breath. This was it. "So… There's this guy. I really like him- oh, what's the point of saying that, I _love _him- and he feels the same. He tells me constantly. Although, see, we probably shouldn't be together, so our romance is a secret… But the discreetness is gnawing away at me, s-so I gotta tell someone…" My heartbeat started increasing and I gulped silently, closing my eyes then gradually reopening them. "Cecilia… I'm dating Le- Professor Dimanche is my boyfriend."

Silence. Horrible, _horrible _silence. Cecilia was now staring full at me, her brown eyes widening more than I knew they were capable of. "_What_?" she hissed after at least 10 seconds. Well, at least she wasn't yelling…

"Professor Dimanche is my-"

"I _heard _you, you idiot." Shock caused my words to get trapped in my throat. Idiot… She called me an _idiot… _Okay, this was worse than yelling. Gradual fury began building up in Cecilia's tan face. "One of your best friends is dead… and your biggest concern is having a romantic relationship with our TEACHER!"

Youch, that one stung. "What, no! I-it's not my biggest concern, you know W-Wendy's death left an _awful _blow… I just, thought I'd clear up one problem…"

"Alexandra," oh Lord, she used my long name, "revealing your dirty little secret doesn't _clear up _how DISGUSTING this is. That's illegal, and twisted, and nasty-"

"The age doesn't matter! Besides: Yes, he's my teacher and I'm his student, but I'll be graduating soon…" I interrupted. That right there was a big mistake.

"But you aren't graduated _yet. _How long has this been going on? You two are sick, you know that? Absolutely sick," Cecilia growled.

"Why, because we fell in love!" I retorted, my tone increasing as much as hers.

"Oh shut UP! He's, like, a pedophile- 6 year difference my arse, you're still a teen- and YOU… I'm a Ravenclaw too y'know, I'm smart enough to know the revolting game you're playing. You're putting on this whole lovey-dovey act just so that pervert will give you a good grade… You're such a manipulative little whore!" Cecilia snarled. I'd never felt so utterly aggravated and offended in my entire life. But Cecilia wasn't done yet. "How far have you two gone? You've been in his bed before, haven't you?"

I stood up to my full height, no matter how slight it was. "Cecilia Maria Santana Martinez, don't you DARE!" I shouted. I have to admit: I envy how bitterly calm Cecilia managed to remain.

"It's true, isn't it?"

"Of course it isn't! We've kissed, that's IT!" I insisted furiously. Cecilia narrowed her eyes, her arms now crossed.

"Considering where he's from, I assume you've _French_ kissed. That bastard used his tongue on you, huh?"

"DO _NOT _CALL LEON A BASTARD!" I bellowed. Before I was aware of myself, I had my wand drawn. Cecilia shot to her feet, whipping out her own; however, we simply glared at each other. No matter how upset we were, I was positive that we would never cause one another harm. Well, _physical _harm.

After an intense, headache-inducing stare down that lasted who knows how long, I let out a wordless cry and stomped off to our dorm. Cecilia wouldn't, I knew, come up until I was asleep, if she came up at all. Maybe she'd go to sleep in the common room. I threw myself onto my bed, burying my face in my pillow which caused Butterscotch, whom I'd nearly landed on, to let out a frightened squeak, bolt onto the floor, and disappear under my four poster. It didn't bother me, though. Nothing could bother me, except that Cecilia was absolutely appalled and incredulous at my feelings for Leon. What if everyone else would react the same way? Would nobody understand that our love is pure?

I ended up going in depth with this thought. In the event that everyone truly was against my relationship with Leon, who would I listen to? Surely my family and friends… If Leon and I eventually broke up, and I had chosen him over all my other loved ones, then I would be absolutely alone. Not to mention I didn't want to be that Mary Sue type of girl that naively picks a man above all else…

Did that mean, though, that I should give up on our love? Staying together would lead to either of two things: we would keep it all a surreptitious, making me feel untrustworthy and tainted; or we could let people be aware of our affection for each other with the chance of being shunned. So really, neither of them were appealing… Nevertheless, as I drifted into an uneasy sleep, I wished it was Leon's shoulder, not my pillow, I was silently crying into.


	11. Chapter 11

A few days later, I retreated to my dormitory in a daze. I hadn't quite been myself since that fight with Cecilia, but at the moment… I might as well have been a ghost, for as airy as I was feeling. See, I had skipped out on my lessons with Leon the day after my argument. And the day after that. And the day after THAT. But today, I finally decided to be a man and go down to see him. He took it well, acting like I'd been coming every day as usual. One thing was different, though: the second the door was closed behind me, he embraced me gently, and _then _started acting normal.

After a while of learning some French verbs, I acknowledged the fact that I had a pounding headache. I mentioned this to Leon, and he suggested that I either go up to the hospital wing or turn in early. I nodded, closed my notes, and hopped off the desk I was sitting on. Before I left, I knew I had to do something that I would regret yet be so happy about: give Leon a good-night kiss. I stood on my tiptoes to do so, and he returned it as lovingly as ever. This time, though, things we different. Normally, our lips would meet for a moment and then that was that. However, instead of pulling away, this time we simply removed our lips from each other's without moving our heads at all.

Curious as to why we hadn't backed off, I opened my eyes just a slit. I couldn't see much, of course, but could tell Leon hadn't opened _his _eyes. Before I could wonder why this was, I felt such light pressure on my mouth that I barely was aware of it. I closed my eyes all the way and hastened to kiss him back, softly but still noticeably. We kissed again… And again… And _again… _Barely conscious of my own actions, I gripped Leon's shoulders and jumped just a bit as his arms linked around my waist. The kissing continued, our heads tilting this way and that….

"I-I need to get going, my head's _really _killing me," I exclaimed suddenly. My words came out muffled since I spoke mid-kiss. Leon stepped backward, and I swear I saw disappointment dart across his face for a millisecond.

"Right, zat would be a good idea. I 'ope you feel better, mon cher…"

I nodded. "Thanks. A-and um, don't think I'm leaving 'cause I didn't like what we were doing… Honestly, I…" The words just wouldn't form, so I instead flashed a smile that I hoped spoke my thoughts for me. Since the look on Leon's face showed me my point had gotten across, I swept out of the room feeling satisfied. As realization sprung over me, though, I felt the grin slip gradually off of my mouth until I was surely wearing an expression of horror. One phrase exploded throughout my mind, multiplying by the dozens, cramming my thoughts and increasing my headache… _I snogged Leon Dimanche. _

What an odd combination of feelings this created. I was overjoyed: I truly did love him, and he truly did love me, plus it felt like heaven. I was defensive: I'm 18, I'm definitely old enough to snog! I was curious: Leon was 24, but had that been the first time he snogged anyone? I was disgusted: for about the millionth time, _he is my professor! _Although mostly, I was just plain shocked.

I trudged up to the door of my common room, blearily answered the riddle asked, and loped off to my dorm, my brain feeling like it was going to break out of my skull. As expected, Cecilia and Niki were not in the dorm when I opened the door (after all, it was an hour before we normally called it a night); however, I was surprised to see that Margaret and Bess were in the room already, sitting very close on Margaret's bed. The moment I entered, they tensed up and stared at me with deer-in-headlights looks.

"I _told _you we have to be more careful!" Bess hissed, color flushing into her slightly chubby face.

"Oh, let's not discuss this _please…" _Margaret glanced at me from behind her glasses almost hopefully. "W…we have to tell somebody… You agreed it's too much weight on our shoulders to keep it secret from everyone…"

My expression softened, and I reluctantly sat on the bed across the room from them. "If something's bothering you, feel free to tell me… I'm a wicked secret keeper." This was true: I still never told anyone that Jenna slept in her dad's boxers when she was little. I hesitated before saying the next sentence. "Plus, from the sounds of it, I'm in a pretty similar situation."

Bess buried her face in her hands, nearly in tears; Margaret comfortingly rested her hand on her back. She- that is, Margaret- took a deep breath, put on a brave face, and spoke slowly. "Alex… Bess and I… We're… dating. We have been for 3 years."

Even if I didn't mean for it to happen, my jaw fell slack. This declaration made sense, really. Why they were so inseparable… Why they detached themselves from everyone around their fourth year, even if they hadn't been social butterflies before then… Why they looked at me like I was their savior that day that I had my mini speech on being fine with Kiseki's homosexuality… Why they were always so quick to get to sleep…

Somehow, I found myself smiling. "That's… That's really cute, you two." And I meant it. They had so much in common, these girls, and from what I could tell they understood each other like nobody else could.

"I was hoping you'd think that," Bess sniffled, sliding her fingers away from her face and appearing partially reassured.

"Well it's the truth. I can see why you'd be scared to let people know, though… All the hate people get, for loving the same gender… It's so _stupid." _I was painfully reminded of hearing how my brother had been forced out of a restaurant because Cyrus had kissed him, yet there were straight couples cuddling and snogging all around them.

Margaret nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! It's not like we can control our emotions and choose who we love… Not to mention gays help the birthrate go down." The three of us chuckled quietly. A thought occurred to me during the silence that followed.

"You know… We should have been better friends. I'm really sorry I wasn't friendlier with you… But we're graduating in about a month, I guess it's too late to build a stronger friendship…" I shifted uncomfortably, but noticed Margaret smile warmly at me. I grinned myself as I saw her absently grab Bess's hand.

"Hey, it's never too late. We could always talk on the phone, send owls or emails, visit each other…" Bess nodded her approval, and I agreed.

"I have to ask… You said you were in a similar situation. How so?" Bess inquired. Something shattered inside of me at that moment. Not exactly in a negative way, though… More like something was breaking free, like long-kept water bursting through a dam. I hadn't realized it, but ever since my fight with Cecilia I'd been _dying _for someone to want to know about my predicament.

So I went all out. I told them about how I'd started visiting Leon after class, and how smitten with him I soon became, and how we eventually kissed and he let me know he loved me, and how I started taking French lessons from him just so we could be around each other, and that Cecilia had been so revolted with me… The only detail I left out, actually, was the fact that Leon was a vampire.

My two roommates were fantastic listeners. They never interrupted, only opening their mouths to gasp or add short, pointless, whispered commentary. Margaret was the first to respond when I concluded my tale. "Well I completely agree with you. Come graduation, it'll be perfectly legal! And you can't _help _that you love each other…"

"It isn't like you're doing anything, you know, _romantically extreme,_ too," Bess added.

"Exactly! I'm so glad you understand…" It felt like a huge pressure had been lifted off my chest. It was still threatening to fall back down and crush me… But it was away from me for the time being.

"Maybe we should get on to sleep," Margaret suggested after we chatted casually for a few minutes. We all nodded and I climbed over to my trunk, scratching Butterscotch behind the ears as I passed. I could feel my roommates eyeing me, so I glanced over my shoulder to find they were uncertainly sharing a good-night kiss. Well that explained why they tended to be in bed already when Cecilia and I headed up here… Smiling to myself, I slipped into my nightdress and under my covers. I had one of the easiest sleeps in weeks despite the pain in my head.


	12. Chapter 12

Graduation day. When students catch final glimpses at their school, give a speech in front of family and friends, and exchange good-byes to those whom they may not see often in their lives as adults. I'd been picturing this day since I was a little girl; picturing how it should be: me and my best friends climbing on the stage nervously yet with confidence, walking off arm-in-arm, maybe with a few tears in our eyes, and ready to move on with our lives while still remaining just as closely knit. There was a point in time when that could have happened… but it didn't.

So much was wrong. Wendy, the dimwit that always saw to it that we all felt cheery and alive, was _dead. _Kelly, the girl that we all wanted to smack but couldn't help but love, was so sick with grief that she would most likely be stuck in a mental hospital sooner or later. Cecilia, the down to earth grouch, was utterly disgusted with me because of one thing that I revealed to her and she highly disagreed with. Jenna hadn't changed… Or had she? I still saw her exactly the same way, yes, yet how could she still be my best friend when I couldn't tell her my biggest secret?

Added onto all that, looking into the crowd of people gathered to see off us graduates filled me with guilt. I would glimpse my teary parents, and my siblings sending me a wave or a wink, but in the end my gaze always drifted over to the row in which the Hogwarts staff sat, and rested on Leon. The fact that I can casually think of him as anything but Professor Dimanche makes me feel dirty; tainted; _wrong_.

Not everything was so awful, though. With all the drama, I had totally forgotten that I had been designated to give a speech on this last day of school. So, Margaret and Bess helped me rehearse, with help from Jenna too. Thanks to them, I was able to stumble to my feet, collect myself within a matter of seconds, stand in front of hundreds of people, and recite that speech. Whatever it contained is a blur to me now- something about friendships and skills that last forever… Basically stuff I _wanted _to believe in.

Oh, and there was another positive thing: when I located Austin and Radha in the crowd, one of them was holding Sai while the other had a newborn baby in their arms.

Receiving diplomas was a slightly awkward occasion. Who handed them out to those with the last names starting with T, U, and V? Why, none other than dear old Professor Leon Dimanche. Normally, I would've been fine with that- I act completely normal around him in class- but I was already pretty wobbly, so many people were watching, the time for us to rightfully be together was approaching quite rapidly, and our fingers brushed each other's when I took my certificate from him.

It felt like hours- years, even- later that everyone finally paraded down to their family. I had barely set foot on the ground when I was assaulted: my hair was ruffled, my cheeks were kissed, my hands were grasped, my whole self was hugged. Even my little nieces and nephews were clambering all over me, as if they knew what I'd just accomplished. They were probably just seizing the opportunity to pounce on their youngest aunt, though. The thing is, as hectic as it was, I found being surrounded by all these people I knew and loved so much was very soothing. Not to mention it wiped my mind of all the recent drama in my life; provided me with temporary escape…

Overwhelmed, all I could do was laugh. I wondered if that was spiteful of me- I mean, Mum was crying while rambling on about something involving her only baby girl being grown up, and Dad was even wiping his eyes on the back of his hand- but I was reassured when I saw everyone seem to lighten up at the sound of my laughter. My eyes found a resting spot on Austin and Radha.

"I see Sai's a big brother now, hm?" I remarked. My brother positively beamed at me.

"That he is! Radha and I considered writing to you about his birth, but thought a surprise would be fun… So, _surprise! _You're now the aunt of Thomas Ueda. We think we'll call him Tommy though…" Austin explained.

I nodded gradually, tickling the baby's chin. Judging by his size and lack of response, I estimated that he was no more than a couple weeks old. Surely, Radha could read minds, for she indicated: "He's only 9 days old."

A high pitched "aww" escaped my slightly parted lips. "He's adorable… Congratulations, you two. Would you… mind if I held him?"

Radha shook her head, her curtains of black hair swiping across her cheeks as she did so. "Go ahead, hun!" I extended my arms, carefully receiving the minuscule infant. My eyes lit up affectionately as I took in the sight of him. He looked so like his mother, with tan Indian skin and wisps of black hair… Something about his facial features, though, just _screamed _Austin.

"Look at you, already so good with kids… You'll make a bloody amazing mum one day. You know, assuming some guy ever decides to knock you up," Raito teased, roughly yet playfully tousling my hair. I could just feel my face go crimson, and didn't even laugh when Presilla snapped "Leave your sister alone" with a grin and Mum gave Raito a disgusted shove. I felt abruptly winded: was it naturalthat I instinctively pictured Leon as the father of my child? I mean, I _did _love him… Girls always had that stage in a relationship where they subconsciously plan a future with the guy they're with… Right?

I managed to stand my ground in this case, even if my face was still as red as a rose. I haughtily crossed my arms and raised my chin. "I wouldn't let 'some guy' get me- God I hate this word- _pregnant. _It would be a man that I really and truly love with all my heart."

Mum had stopped crying, sniffling and all, though her eyes were still puffy. She wagged her finger at me in a scolding motion. "Just because you're a Hogwarts graduate now doesn't mean you can start thinking about making babies."

"Says the lady who had me and Raye when she was 17," Raito muttered.

"Jasper… I'm going to have to give your daddy a wooping, alright?" Mum huffed. Mirth exploded from all around us as tiny little Jasper nodded enthusiastically, flinging his arms around Raito's legs as if attempting to earn last minute forgiveness.

"Sacrificing me to your mean ol' grandma, huh? Oh, I'll show YOU," Raito growled in an obviously playful tone. He fell to his knees and began tickling his son all over, resulting in squeals and giggles from the child. I tossed my head back and allowed my laughter to overcome me. Thank the lord that awkward conversation about me being a mother was over… And this was just _too _adorable.

"Excusez-moi… But may I borrow Alexandra for a moment?" That voice… Ohhh, that voice… I swiftly reminded myself that I mustn't look so eager to see this man, since as far as my family knew, he was just my professor. It didn't take much acting to appear slightly disappointed to follow after Leon: I was quite enjoying myself, not to mention I hadn't seen my family in quite a long time.

"Oh, of course, just please not too long," Mum answered, now smiling broadly and dabbing at her moist eyes with a lace handkerchief. Dad, however, had a different reaction. The pleasure slipped out of his features, and he raised an eyebrow skeptically. Well, naturally he wouldn't be so trusting. Why would he let his daughter go off with a vampire alone? Mum gave him a tiny reassuring nod, though, so he sighed and made a dismissive wave with his hand. Leon bowed his head and motioned for me to follow him.

Once in the school, Leon silently led me down some hallways with a small nonchalant smile on his face the whole time. We finally came to a halt outside of his classroom; he brought me inside and closed the door behind us. He heaved a deep sigh without opening his mouth, and smiled blissfully. He pressed a piece of parchment into my palm.

"And what's this?" I questioned with a slight tilt to my head. I noticed that his fingers hadn't left my hand.

"It is my address. I was 'oping you would want to come visit me…"

"Address? But, I thought professors made Hogwarts their home?"

Mild confusion swept across Leon's face for just a second. "Ah, I am forgetting! I never told ze sevenz years… Alex, zis was ze only year I would be working at 'Ogwarts. I was a… temporary place 'older, until zey could find someone better suited for ze job." There was barely any regret in his voice at all. He smiled at me almost childishly…. And then I was struck with realization. I was a graduated woman now, and Leon was no longer my professor… He was no longer a professor at all, even… So even if I was to remain a student for another year, he would just be a man that I loved… Nobody could speak badly about our relationship now…!

I felt one of his palms press against that spot between my shoulder blades, his other hand brushing my lower back and latching onto my hip. Leon pulled me close to him, his lips mashing against mine. I fully embraced the gesture, tangling my hands in his golden brown hair, accepting and even returning kiss after kiss. I no longer felt guilt swarm inside of me as I was held by Leon Dimanche. Now I was free to love him with limited worries…

Well, I assumed so, anyway.


	13. Chapter 13

I've heard that when you dream about someone, that means they're thinking about you at the time. Well, I wonder if that also applies when you have _nightmares _about someone.

My parents agreed to have me stay living with them in our house in Japan until I earned up enough money for a place of my own- so, basically, I'd be staying for at least a couple years. The first night I returned home, I was so tired that I fell asleep fully clothed and had a full, dreamless sleep. The second, however…

I was having the relatively same nightmare Leon had described to me before. You know, the one where he killed me… It was through my own eyes, though. Leon and I were alone in a meadow which I'd never seen before. We were holding hands, staring into each other's eyes, overwhelmed by the happiness that we could be together with minimal guilt, regrets, and consequences. Leon whispered nothingness into my ear, and I was absorbing all of it… Everything was as perfect as could be…

It happened in about a millisecond, maybe even less in dream-time. One second, my love's breath was tickling soothingly against my earlobe, and the next I was overwhelmed with a sharp pain in my neck. Imagine getting a shot at a doctor's. Now think of _two _needles going in at the same time, right in a vein, and remaining there as opposed to being pulled swiftly out. My vision was quickly blurry with tears and spotted by red.

Since this _was _a dream, I was suddenly watching the scene as if it was a movie. Crimson blood was trickling down my neck, seeping into the clothing on my shoulder, although most of it was going down Leon's throat. Color was slowly draining from my skin… Everything was spinning… My eyelids were drooping… My partially smiling mouth was opened in a final silent scream… And then I was staring at my bedroom ceiling.

I immediately bolted upright, a shriek escaping my dry throat. I found myself breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. My eyes shot wide open as, with my mind still fuzzy with sleep, I realized there should be two holes in my neck. When my hand flew up to the spot Leon had dug his fangs into, however, I was met with just an itchy bump. So it was a mosquito that had sucked a bit of blood out of me… not my boyfriend.

After a minute or two, I evened my breathing and regained control over myself. All dreams, and sometimes nightmares, are supposed to have meanings… I hugged my knees to me and started brainstorming reasons. It didn't take long for me to come to a conclusion: there had to be something wrong in our relationship, something I should be able to prevent… Like how I should have been able to avoid being bitten by him… One main error stuck out in my mind: my parents, whom I trusted with my life, had no idea I was dating Leon. The clock read 7 A.M… I doubted I was the only one awake in the house.

Replacing my silky pajamas with clothes and lazily running a brush through my hair, I tiptoed down the lengthy staircase to the kitchen. Mum wouldn't need much convincing, I felt fairly certain, but it was not her that I found downstairs. No, she was apparently still in bed; Dad was sitting at the table and sipping some tea. He smiled warmly at me. "Good morning, angel."

I meekly returned his grin, gingerly sitting across from him. "Good morning, Daddy," I replied in a soft tone. I took a silent deep breath. I should probably get it off my chest as soon as possible… What if I was invited to visit Leon today or tomorrow? I would feel bad about turning him down, yet even worse for sneaking out to be with him behind my parents' back. I drew in a silent breath and sat up straight. "Dad… I…" I had to do this quick, like ripping off a band-aid… "Dad, I'm dating Leon Dimanche."

All of the serenity dropped out of Dad's demeanor; I flinched when his teacup hit the table and smashed to bits. He didn't move to clean up the spilled beverage, though. "How long?" he whispered after a silence more painful than if he had been screaming at me.

"A few months," I murmured, wanting to meet his eyes but unable to face his penetrating gaze.

"How much have you done?" A pause. "You know… How _far _have you gone?"

I decided to be thoroughly honest with him; lying would just dig me into a deeper hole. "We've… snogged two or three times, but shared a lot of short regular kisses…"

_More _silence. Dad sighed and gently massaged his temples. "I suppose I've seen this coming for a while now…" He muttered. "When I told her that you favored Dimanche so much that even though you deciphered that he was a vampire, you chose to ask me to donate blood for him as opposed to fearing him from afar, and that you started taking extra lessons with him afterwards, your mother jokingly said it'd make a good plot for one of her romance novels… But that made me start thinking. You could simply have been utterly concerned for your favorite teacher and just trying to help out, which was 100% believable. But Alexandra…" Oh no, he used my full name. Gulp. "I've been married to your mother for almost 30 years. I've seen 5 of my kids fall for people. I _know _what it looks like when someone's in love. Even a master of poker faces can't hide that special look in their eye… You're brilliant at masking it, I'll be honest, but when you spoke about Leon Dimanche, there was no mistaking that flicker of utmost affection in your eyes."

I found myself blushing at this. "Oh," was all I could utter in response. I glanced up like a guilty puppy who knew she'd done wrong; Dad sighed.

"Sweetheart… Out of all my kids, you would probably be the last I'd expect something like this from. I can't believe you didn't see how awfully wrong the whole thing was-"

"I-I did know it was wrong!" I squeaked.

"Don't interrupt me. If I had found out earlier, I would personally see to it that you have Headmistress McGongall give you private Transfiguration lessons, and anything else that would help make sure you were away from Dimanche. But, I _didn't _find out earlier: you kept it perfectly secret." My shame was so plentiful at this point that it felt like I had heartburn. Suddenly, though, Dad's expression softened just a bit. "That being said… You're a graduated woman now, and Dimanche is no longer a professor… Alex, you're a very smart and strong girl, so I know that if he didn't make you happy, you would have ended whatever special something you had with him by now. As long as you trust him, I suppose I do too. In other words, I give you my permission to date Dima- Leon."

I was momentarily shocked into silence. My overprotective father was actually giving me permission to be in a relationship with a vampire 6-and-a-half years older than me? This had to be a dream. Yet, it wasn't: it was just a miracle.

"Oh, Daddy… _Thank you…_" I breathed, jumping to my feet. I gave my dad a kiss on both cheeks, motioning with my wand so as to reassemble his broken teacup and transferring the warm liquid back inside. I trotted up the stairs only to bump into Mum. Her hair was disheveled and face lacked makeup, so I knew she couldn't have woken up more than 10 minutes ago.

"'Morning, Mum!" I chimed brightly. My mother flashed me a tired smile.

"Good morning, darling. Sleep well?"

"Pretty decently… Any reason you slept in?"

"Mm, just not feeling too well… Might be catching a bit of a head cold," she sighed. I furrowed my eyebrows sympathetically. My heart was beating quickly, but not quite so nervously. Getting Dad's approval was like jumping a huge hurtle; Mum's would be like stepping over a stick.

"Sorry to hear it… Maybe you should get a little extra shut eye. But first, um… I just got done telling this to Dad, so it's your turn: Mum, Leon Dimanche is my boyfriend." The last sentence felt so odd on my tongue, possibly because it was such a strong, meaningful declaration which I had previously told no one besides myself.

For a moment, Mum just stared at me uncomprehendingly. Then she yawned and said, "Well if you two are content with each other…" And she continued on down the stairs.

Well, that went wonderfully. I spun back around, skipped after my mother, and popped into the kitchen. "Mum? Daddy? May I go out for just a bit?" I inquired in my sweetest voice.

"Where to?" Dad questioned without removing his eyes from his _Daily Prophet._

"I'm going to go tell Leon that you accept our relationship." _When _did I learn to be so straightforward?

Dad sighed silently, closing his eyes as if focusing on keeping his cool. He probably was. "You're treading in deep waters, you are… But go right ahead. If you're not back in an hour, I ground you from seeing him for 2 weeks, do you understand?"

I nodded sharply. "I understand." Planting a kiss atop my father's head of dark hair, I trotted outside onto the porch. After Leon gave me his address, I had looked it up online so I had an image for Apparation. Concentrating on the picture I'd come across, I closed my eyes and felt the world spin away from me.

When the rapid teleportation came to a halt, I found myself on a cracked and weed-infested sidewalk. In front of me was a simple brick apartment building that probably could use some remodeling, though it didn't seem necessary yet; behind my back was a series of roadside shops with people and cars bustling on by. The atmosphere was busy yet lacking in liveliness. With a half shrug, I walked up the cement steps and opened the ill-painted door.

An extremely bored-looking receptionist sat at the lobby's front desk, flipping lazily through a magazine. Putting on the friendliest smile I could muster, I strode up to her. "Excuse me, but I'm looking for apartment 11-E?"

The woman glanced over her periodical. "You've got fingers, go press the floor number into the elevator," she instructed bitterly. My smile faltered quite a bit.

"Uh, thank you…" I muttered. With that, I strode into the elevator, pressed the button labeled _11, _and sat patiently against the wall as I ascended.

All my composure was lost when I stepped into the hall of the eleventh floor and located the door marked with an _E. _I knocked a catchy little 7-note tune, rocking back and forth on my heels as I waited. Many locks were fumbled with on the other side, and then the door opened just a crack. The gray eye that I knew to belong to Leon peered through, and widened when it caught side of me. The door swung all the way open. Before I could register anything, I was yanked inside by the wrist.

"Alexandra! I was not expecting you, what are you-? Oh, I am so glad to see you!" Once the door was locked again (there were suspiciously about 5 locks on the door), Leon wrapped his arms around me with a grin as wide as the ocean. Smiling childishly myself, I snuggled against him.

"I'm glad to see you too! So, I've got news. I told my parents about _us… _And they're fine with it!" I exclaimed. Leon stared at me in shock for just a few seconds.

"Oy, très bien! Zat is so wonderful… I cannot believe zey would 'and zeir little girl over to someone like me, but it's not like I plan on arguing about it. Zis certainly calls for celebration." My wild imagination briefly pictured Leon whipping out a bottle of champagne, though I was quickly forced into reality when Leon's lips were pressed against mine. Coffee… He'd definitely had some recently. Embracing the delicious warmth of his mouth, I immediately kissed him back. Without removing his hands from my waist, he guided me toward a sofa in the middle of the room and sat us upon it. The apartment was as plain as his old classroom, but I didn't get much time to take in the sight of it.

His kisses were getting rougher; however, to my surprise, I actually enjoyed the increase in force. A sigh/groan of pleasure sounded in my throat against my own will, and I absently linked my hands behind Leon's head. Adrenaline seemed to be pulsing through my body as rapidly as my heartbeat. This was it… We were going to snog again… The first truly romantic gesture we took since our love was granted acceptance by my mother and father…

The series of kissing came to an abrupt halt. My eyelids fluttered open, tilting my head ever so slightly in confusion. I drew in a terrified gasp as I acknowledged what was happening: Leon's mouth was moving toward my neck. Instinctively pressing my palms against his chest forcefully, I scrambled to my feet and whipped out my wand. Leon gazed up at me in surprise.

"Alex, what are you…?" A horrified guilt washed over his expression as realization dawned on him. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You zought I was going to bite you, didn't you? Oh, Alexandra, I swear zat was not my intention! I was simply aiming to deliver a kiss to your neck…" A blush actually swept across his pale cheeks. "I-I 'eard zat is a sensitive spot, good for pleasing…"

Now I was blushing too. "Oh…" I gradually loosened up, sitting back beside him in slow motion. "I'm sorry, I just… Reflexes…"

"No, please do not apologize… 'Ow could I _possibly _I would be able to control myself with my lips touching so close to a vein? I ask for your forgiveness…"

"What? No, I'm not mad at you at all! You needn't ask to be forgiven." To prove my sincerity, I gave him a kiss on his short shaven cheek. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

"Well zen… merci. Je t'aime, Alex…"

"I love you too, Leon." And as we hugged each other amorously, I knew I meant it. I opened my mouth to suggest that we erase the previous moment from our minds, though I quickly realized that would be impossible. First off, it would serve as a reminder to Leon that being anywhere around my neck was an absolute no-no. But mostly, it got me thinking. Besides holding hands, kissing, hugging (in a specific way, too, so that he wouldn't be near my neck), and the occasional snogging, we couldn't take any other romantic actions. It was a good thing that my face was buried in Leon's chest, because it had turned beet red. Was I seriously wishing that we could go… _further_?

But, no, I swiftly realized that those relatively inappropriate thoughts were not my main concern: I now knew that I would never be able to marry Leon Dimanche.


	14. Chapter 14

I decided not to dwell on the thought of being unable to marry Leon. Who knew? Maybe something would happen and I'd finally be 100% positive that my boyfriend wouldn't suck my blood whenever I let my guard down. For the time being, I thought it best to just continue our relationship and see how it turned out. Besides: I suppose I didn't entirelyexpect us to be together forever, seeing as someone's first love is so rarely their last. Then again, I suppose he wasn't my _first _love… When I was a first year at Hogwarts, I believe I was in love with a prefect named Jonah. But then I learned that he was aiming to crown a new Dark Lord, and he tried to use _Avada Kedavra _on me, so I gave up on romance after that. That's a whole other story, though; let's get back to this one

At the end of that first visit at Leon's apartment, I had scribbled down my own address for him. Since he owned no computer, we communicated the old fashioned way: exchanging letters. On the particular day in question, my dad's owl appeared at my windowsill clasping another envelope. I eagerly ripped the seal off to find that it had been a response to asking him when he would want to come over to my place (I told him I'd be available anytime). As it turned out, he'd be dropping by today.

I took the stairs two at a time, grinning broadly. "Mum, Dad, Leon's going to be here soon," I called. Mum looked up from the notebook she was scribbling in with mild surprise on her face.

"Hm? Sweetheart, I'd love to have Leon over, truly I would, but we've got other company coming today…" she indicated. My smile faltered, and I blinked.

"Huh? Who?" Before I could find out, I heard someone knocking at the door. I peered out the window and squealed when I saw it was who _I _was anticipating. "Leon! Come in, please!" I exclaimed, swinging the door open. My boyfriend smiled warmly at me.

"Merci, mon cher." He stepped inside, leaning in to give me a kiss but pulling back sharply as he saw my dad enter the room. Otherwise, though, he basically ignored Dad's presence. "You live 'ere? Your 'ome is _remarkable_," he commented. I shrugged.

"My parents do pretty well."

"And _you, _Mr. Dimanche, would do pretty well to be respectful of my daughter," Dad chimed in, an eyebrow arched and his arms crossed. Leon bowed his head.

"Of course, Monsieur Ueda. I would never cause Alexandra any 'arm. And I 'ope that you and I could learn to get on well," he assured my father. I doubted anyone could say no to _that _smooth and sincere tone. Dad huffed under his breath.

"Well, you _did _compliment my home, and Alex loves you… We'll see." For some reason, this made me giggle.

"We'll be in my room, Daddy," I told him, taking Leon by the hand. Alarm exploded on both men's faces.

"Oh no you won't! You two will stay down here where I can keep my eyes on you," Dad insisted. I sighed and settled with plopping down on the sofa in the living room.

"So I see you brought your violin," I began. Leon nodded, sliding the black case off of his back and undoing the clips holding it shut. He gingerly removed the shiny instrument inside as if it was a human infant.

"Correct. I wrote a new composition, and zought I might play it for you," he explained. I folded my hands in my lap, smiling sweetly.

"Play away, then." Nodding, Leon gave his wand a little twirl until it transformed into a bow. He brought it expertly across the violin's strings, closing his eyes peacefully. He was almost a different person when he was in this state, like he was in a whole different world. I didn't have much time to dwell on his stance, however, because I was quickly overwhelmed by the music he was creating. The tune told a tale, even without lyrics. I soon realized that the varying notes were reciting our love story. My eyes closed hypnotically, although I knew I was blushing.

The song ended quite abruptly. It had gradually been building up to a point of a musical explosion, when on one beautiful note it halted altogether. I peeked one eye open, thinking Leon had simply forgotten the rest, only to see he had set his violin on the couch beside him. "Well?" he whispered.

I opened the other eye. "That was… _Wow. _I just can't put it into words," I breathed. "The least I can say is, good job."

Leon chuckled and pecked his lips against my cheek. "Merci."

"That really was fantastic, are you a professional?" The sound of that voice made me gasp with a jump so that I ended up on the floor. "Owww," I moaned, rubbing my head and shooting Leon a glare as he laughed down at me. He quickly muffled his mirth and gently pulled me to my feet.

"Geez sis, I didn't mean to scare you!" I glanced up to see Kathy standing beside me.

"Woops," I muttered in response. Still, I couldn't fight back the smile twitching onto my face and willingly accepted my elder sister's hug. She stepped back and turned immediately to Leon.

"So I heard you're dating Allie now," she commented. My jaw fell slightly agape. How did she know this? Answering my thoughts, Kathy chuckled and said, "News spreads like wildfire around our family."

"Well, oui. I am," Leon confirmed, absently grabbing my hand. Before anything else could be said, James stumbled into the room. I stared at him in shock for a few seconds. I was used to seeing the upbeat man smiling, but his current grin was so wide that it must hurt his mouth. Marie was being held by him, yet pouting greatly for her dad was holding her with one arm in an awkward sideways position.

"_This _is him, huh? This guy right here. With the pretty hair and the baby guitar. He is my little sister-in-law's _ ," _James exclaimed. Kathy quickly took Marie into her own arms, muttering something under her voice. James was just getting started, though. "I know you, man! I. know. YOU. You're my age! Born the same year, man!" He was now standing so close to Leon that it was concerning. "I know what you are, too. You were a PROFESSOR, at Wartshog, and you… You're a Frenchie, man!" James suddenly burst into laughter. "You're a French fry!"

I had a lot of things to say, but what came out of my mouth was: "You'd think someone who lives in France would be used to French people…"

Kathy chuckled slightly. "The doctor messed up his prescription… Whatever he's on right now has got him all loopy," she explained. I had to laugh, since James was now twirling a strand of Leon's golden brown hair around his index finger with a look of admiration. He plucked his hand away and turned to me.

"So how're you, Burger?"

I found this so ridiculous that I just had to snicker. "_What?_" I sighed. James erupted into more giggles.

"Burgers go good with fries! And you're dating a French fry, so that makes YOU, a burger!"

"Why don't you lie down, honey," Kathy murmured, restraining her own laughter. It was silent among all of us as James draped himself across our couch until Leon spoke up.

"Zat little girl is your daughter Marie, non?"

"Oh, yes, she is," Kathy replied with a smile, shifting my niece so that she was holding her up a bit higher. Marie stared tiredly at Leon for a moment before burying her face into her mother's shoulder.

"She is absolutely beautiful, Kazerine. And I love 'er name," Leon complimented, gingerly running his hand over Marie's dark brown hair. Kathy tilted her head slightly, still smiling.

"Merci beaucoup, Leon. If James and I have any more kids, we plan on giving any other girls French names too," she remarked. Leon nodded; more silence. "Well, welcome to the family. All of us are so glad Alex found someone she loves as much as you…"

A light blush swept across both my and Leon's cheeks. "Ah, well, I'm razzer overjoyed too, your sister is… amazing, to say ze least." My face turned even redder, and it was all I could do to hug Leon's arm. "But, I'm not exactly part of ze family, am I? Not officially, anyway…" I didn't have to look up to see his gaze turn to me. Was that an indirect marriage proposal…?

I opened my mouth to form a reply, but Dad was scolding us for "standing too close" so I had to jump away. Finally, though, I whispered, "Maybe at some point." I mean, it's not exactly like I could say: "Oh, I want to be your bride, but my father would destroy you and I'm kind of terrified you'll suck my blood dry if we're alone for too long." Could I?


	15. Chapter 15

By the time a week had passed since that incident, Leon had met all of my siblings. He soon took a liking to Kiseki, clicked immediately with Raye, found Austin to be incredibly nice, and Raito… Well, he said that Raito was "interesting." In one word, that truly _does _describe my eldest brother.

Months passed by. On the morning of September first, I sat up with a gasp and shrieked "I'M GOING TO MISS THE TRAIN!" only to remember that this year, I wasn't anticipating a trip to Hogwarts. Leon and I made it a habit to visit each other at least three times a week- it had been daily, until Leon accidentally struck up a career. Long story short, he had been playing his violin while we were strolling through a park in autumn, when someone significant in the music industry happened to walk by. If he liked what he heard, he could employ you overnight… Turns out, he _loved _Leon's work.

One day in late December, I was sitting basically on Leon's lap, watching TV in his apartment with his arm around my shoulders. How safe I felt, wearing a wool sweater and fuzzy socks, snuggled up against my love, listening to the crackle of the flames in the nearby fireplace as silent snowflakes floated angelically to the ground outside... Suddenly, Leon clicked off the television set. I sat up slightly, blinking, and closed one eye as I felt Leon's lips press against the top of my head.

"Alex, we 'ave never been on an official date, 'ave we?"

I started to counter his words, when I realized that they were true. Yes, we had spent time together in the park, hung out at each other's homes, and went out for dinner, but we had never acknowledged them as _dates. _My silence allowed Leon to understand my thoughts. "Why don't we go for a walk around ze town- grab somezing to drink, per'aps do window shopping or somezing- and mark it as our first date?"

Smiling, I pecked my lips against Leon's for a second. "Sounds good to me."

After bundling myself in gloves, a scarf, and a jacket (Leon didn't need to dress warmly, but he threw on a jacket "for effect"), I took Leon's hand in mine and headed out the door. We decided to go to a Muggle-free shopping village, quite similar to Diagon Alley except it didn't have shops for school supplies. "I 'ear zey 'ave ze most _delectable _'ot drinks 'ere… Would you like me to get somezing for you, mon cher?" Leon inquired as we stared around the village in silence. It wasn't an awkward quiet, though, for we were taking in the charming sight of snow-covered shops and pavement plus all the Christmas decorations: mistletoe, twinkling lights, wreaths, cherubs, baubles, stockings in windows...

"Oh, that sounds great, thanks. A hot cocoa, please," I responded, digging in my pocket for some money. Leon placed his hand on my wrist, bringing his face nearly nose-to-nose with mine.

"Zere will be no need, it's on me," he whispered, his warm breath creating a puff in the air. I gave a small nod and gazed after him as he swept off into a nearby café. My eyes widened slightly as a thought occurred to me. Judging by the size of the line inside, he'd take at least a few minutes to get our drinks… This was the perfect opportunity to scope out a Christmas present for him! Making sure Leon was preoccupied in the café, I bolted off to look for something that would appeal as a gift for him.

I honestly intended to find him something, but the more I looked around, the more sidetracked I got. I eventually came to an unfamiliar part of the village, where much less people were bustling around. At the very end of the street stood a little shop with nobody inside of it. Something about it just drew me in, like Leon's violin had the first time I laid eyes on it… The next thing I knew, I was walking through the shop doorway and wondering why a little bell didn't jingle like in every other store. I shivered: it was warmer outside in the snow.

An odd assortment of items were on display: broken dolls, wax candles, fake doves, wreaths made from rose bush thorns… The register was manned by a strangely dressed old woman; I flashed her a smile, which she returned by staring blankly at me. Feeling immediately uneasy, I started to back out, when I heard a semi raspy masculine voice exclaim: "Alexandra Ueda… Is that really you?"

I spun around with an audible gasp, unaware that there was anyone besides the elderly woman and I inside. In the doorway stood a man whom I didn't recognize at first glance…I froze, and not because of the near freezing temperature.

My heart began to race as realization washed over me. No. This was impossible…He was in Azkaban… That basically also meant that he was dead… However, this man certainly had the appearance of someone who had spent long, hard years in jail, with a smile showing that some teeth were missing while the ones that remained were yellowing, raggedly cut hair, a slight yet noticeable twitch, and deathly thin build. Plus, there was no mistaking those piercing teal eyes, tawny colored hair, and numerous brown freckles: this man was named Jonah. This man was my first love. This man tried to kill me when I was 11 and he was 15.

I reacted on instinct and dashed for the door. Jonah, however, easily blocked my way. Snapping my head toward the elderly woman at the register, I shrieked, "HELP!" She kept her head down as if absolutely nothing was going on.

"Now, now, calm down! Did you miss me?" Jonah breathed.

"How did you escape!" I demanded. Jonah laughed unevenly.

"Escape? No, love, one does not simply _escape _from Azkaban. They let me go on good behavior, decided I had enough of those bloody dementors… I've been free for over a year now."

It just didn't seem possible that an attempted murderer and recruited Death Eater would be released on "good behavior." Then again, it _did _seem more probable than him escaping… My internal debate was cut short when Jonah's bony fingers caressed my cheek. Years ago, I would have blushed madly; now, I recoiled in disgust and terror. "Oh, Alexandra… You're just as lovely as always, my sweet little runt." The first few times Jonah had called me a runt at school, it offended me, but I soon learned he meant it lightly and actually grew attached to the nickname. Nevertheless, I currently didn't want Jonah to be calling me _anything. _

Jonah continued to speak, looking taken suddenly aback. "I'm so sorry! I should have asked first. You did hold onto that adorable little crush on me, didn't you?" he confirmed.

Silence seemed to be my best weapon at the moment. I very gradually slid my hand into my jacket for my wand, though I quickly decided against that. Even after years of being weakened by dementors, I had a feeling Jonah could still take me. Biting my lip, I did the only thing I could think of doing under pressure: "LEON! HELP ME!" I screamed. Stupid, stupid, stupid… How could he possibly hear me from far away? I couldn't afford to be a damsel in distress, not under this circumstance… At the last moment, I whipped out my wand and held it out uncertainly with two hands.

"Don't you dare try anything," I hissed. Jonah pouted.

"Allie, dear, why ever would you think I'd try and hurt you?"

_Because you're a mentally ill, formally homicidal Dark wizard? _I wanted to say. My voice box, however, seemed to have expired. I instead gulped and stood glued to the ground. Jonah sighed. "Alright, alright… If you _want _to have a duel…" The very moment Jonah lifted his own wand, a tiny flurry of snow drifted in the abruptly opened door. To my utter shock, Leon stood there. I barely noticed that two cups of liquid- one hot chocolate, the other coffee- were spilling all over the ground in the near distance.

"Who is your, ah, friend, Alex?" Leon questioned calmly, making it look like he was crossing his arms behind his back when I knew he was retrieving his wand. I mouthed the name "Jonah" at him. Alarm briefly flickered across his eyes. He leisurely stepped around Jonah and stood in front of me; I intuitionally gripped his sleeve.

"So zis is ze 'man' you've told me about… Ze one zat tried to kill you…" Leon murmured through clenched teeth, his wand lifting ever so slightly. A crazed grin exploded onto Jonah's face and the arm with which he firmly held his wand began to shake a bit.

"Oh? So you still talk about me, sweetheart?" the freckled man crooned.

"_Once. _I've mentioned you _once_, when I was telling him how the only person I ever had feelings for turned out to be a psychopath that tried to kill me," I snapped, regaining my voice with a start. Feeling as if that didn't satisfy my fearful rage toward him, I spat at Jonah. Even when it hit him square on the cheek, I felt no satisfaction. I gripped Leon's arm tighter.

"Alex, Alex, where have your manners gone over the years?" Jonah sighed, not even bothering to wipe the spit off his cheek. He tilted his head, biting the inside of his cheek. "Your taste in men is poor too. Is this who you've replaced me with?" He nodded at Leon; the simple motion increased my hatred of Jonah tenfold.

"And so what if I am?" Leon asked casually. Jonah shrugged, apparently holding back a snicker.

"Well, you're a vampire."

How on earth could Jonah have known that! Perhaps he'd met some vampires in Azkaban… The statement made Leon's eyes widen and his grip tighten on his wand. "And… so what if I am?" he repeated.

Now Jonah legitimately laughed. "_So, _you're a threat to Alex's safety! Yes, I made a huge, violent mistake in my past that put her life in immediate danger… But I've changed. Even if I hadn't, you could take my wand away and I'd be harmless! You, on the other hand… _Nothing _can ever make you less dangerous!"

"I 'ave never 'urt Alexandra, and I never will!" Leon insisted loudly.

"Yet," Jonah mused. Out of nowhere, he lunged around Leon and grabbed my hand. The touch sent a series of memories flowing through my mind: stepping off the Hogwarts Express for the first time with only Jenna as a companion; feeling incredibly self conscious at realizing I was the shortest kid in the school; getting separated from my friends, and receiving help from a freckled boy with a gleaming Prefect badge on his robes; his hand ruffling my hair affectionately as he called me a runt… Then that same handsome brown haired boy pointing his wand toward me and shouting "_AVADA KEDAVRA!" _I tore my hand out of Jonah's grasp.

"Don't you dare touch 'er!" Leon growled. Obviously, Jonah had struck some nerve… Leon didn't believe what Jonah said to be true, did he? Before I could verbalize my concern, Jonah smirked and said: "Bite me."

Leon muttered something that sounded an awful lot like "Gladly" while springing forward with an inhuman growl. I had never seen his fangs before, only in nightmares… I wrapped my arms around his waist, using all of my strength to restrain him.

"Leon, no! He isn't worth it! Don't even think about believing anything he says, y-you wouldn't hurt me, and I love you with all my heart!" I screeched. Still, Leon continued to struggle against me and Jonah naively stood his ground. I bit my lip so heart that for a moment I tasted blood. Leon had told me that his fangs are not poisonous, so he can't create more vampires… If he loses control, he'll end up killing his victim… Did I hate and fear Jonah? Yes. Did I want him dead? …I couldn't wish that on _anybody. _"If you attack him… Th-that makes you no better a man than your father was!"

Although I instantaneously regretted my words, they seemed to have done the trick. Leon froze as if he had been Stunned, and his wand clattered to the ground. I knew exactly what was going through his mind: he was seeing through the eyes of his eight year old self, returning home to find his mother dead on the floor with his father leaning over her, his wife's blood all over his mouth and hands.

Since I seemed to be the only one capable of movement, I kneeled down slowly and retrieved Leon's wand. "Jonah, I… Maybe you _have _changed. I don't know. But… I locked away that crush I had on you and threw away the key. I'm sorry, but even if I _did _still have feelings for you, my loves lies with Leon. I-I'm sorry…" I don't know if it was to distract him, or if it was just to piss him off with confusion, or if it was to show how sincerely sorry I was, I stood on my toes and gave Jonah a peck on the cheek with real tears shimmering in my eyes. Shock swept over his demeanor, so I seized the chance to grab Leon by the wrist and run off.

We didn't come to a halt until we were sitting on the fountain in the dead center of the main shopping village, both of us out of breath. Gingerly resting his wand on his lap, I glanced up at Leon. There had to be so much he had to say… So many responses… Yet when he turned to me, he chuckled nervously and murmured, "I, uh, dropped your 'ot chocolate. Sorry."

My mind told me to respond "It's nothing" or "I'll go get another, would you want another coffee?" Instead, however, I found myself tangling my gloved hands in his hair and kissing him passionately. When I pulled back a good 10 seconds later, I found that his eyes remained open the entire time. I made a sound that might've been a sigh. "Leon, I'm sorry, I-"

"Non," Leon interrupted, getting to his feet. My heart lurched as I realized that he must be angry with me. On the contrary, though, he looked at me, extended a hand, and smiled so warmly that I half expected the air around him to start sizzling. "Come on. Still zirsty?"

Rolling my eyes happily, I took Leon's outstretched hand. "I'll pay this time."

"Who says we are going to pay?" He winked. "Zis is where my French charm shall come in 'andy."

I poked his nose and giggled like a school girl. "Try not to waste it all on others, though, alright?" I hugged his arm tightly as we strode down the street.

Perhaps it was for the best that we put that little encounter behind us… For the time being, though, I couldn't help but think it over. So much had to have gone through Leon's head, seeing someone who had almost taken his girlfriend's life trying to steal her away right before his eyes… And then to be compared to the man that killed his mother… Oh, what had I done! I stared toward Leon as we entered the café, wishing he would punch me or something of the sort. Instead, when he caught my eye, the French man leaned down and kissed me amorously, right in the doorway.

Little did I know that this gesture of utter affection was as damaging as smacking me in the face would have been.


	16. Chapter 16

There's this song I heard once- I think it's from a musical- entitled _Happiness. _One line states: "_Happiness is knowing a secret." _For the most part, this is true. When a friend reveals a secret to you, it's one of the best feelings in the world. It lets you know that they truly trust you, and feel comfortable letting you know something that not everyone does. On the other hand… It's completely different when you're already positive that someone loves and trusts you. When they tell you a secret after you've been in each other's company for so long, it doesn't feel reassuring: it feels very similar to betrayal.

Against most odds, Leon and I stayed together for quite a while. I had grasped a simple part time job at a grocery store, so I didn't get to see my boyfriend in person as much, but every single night we called each other with the words "I love you." I was extremely content with my life, having a decent job, a peaceful romance, still-supportive parents, and another niece or nephew on the way (Marie was going to be a big sister, you see). It was on my nineteenth birthday that a red flag first shot up in my head.

Everyone was getting so excited over Kathy's newly announced pregnancy, so Leon and I had an opportunity to get in some alone time. I was especially glad to achieve this since I noticed he'd been acting odd all day, like something was on his mind. We sat outside on the porch, quietly snuggling into each other against the winter cold. I was just about to break the awkward silence when Leon turned to me.

"Alexandra… 'Ave you ever considered zat I am too old for you?"

I stared at him with a funny expression on my face. "Of course I haven't," I answered immediately. "We both agreed there's no age for love, remember? Is there a particular reason you'd ask…?"

More silence for a few seconds. "Non. I was just… curious." I arched an eyebrow suspiciously. That wasn't something he would normally ask out of the blue, was it? Well, no matter. Leon was now kissing me; I'd try to forget about that sudden little inquire of his.

That event had no immediate consequence. In fact, a few months later, Leon and I were closer than I believe we everhad been. Simply calling each other wasn't suitable anymore, so we would actually Apparate to each other's homes for a good-night kiss every single night. I can't really explain it, but we somehow just felt _more _in love. So in love, in fact, that Leon proposed we live together. That very same day, we headed out into town and started browsing homes.

I shouldn't have ignored the little voice in my head desperately suggesting that it was a trap.

We had scoped out an entire block, and decided to take a little break. The two of us sat on a roadside hill that overlooked a stream. I was peacefully twirling a clover in my hand while absently noting the increasing sizes of the clouds overhead, when Leon abruptly spoke. "I 'ave to leave you."

Since my mind was so calm, his words slipped right through one ear and out the other. "What was that, love?" The gentle smile fell off my face as I viewed the grim expression that Leon wore.

"I am… breaking up with you, Alexandra." Tense silence. "I-I zought it would be best to say it quickly, like ripping off a band-aid…"

"You thought wrong," I snapped. This was so utterly sudden… I felt like I wouldn't be able to say anything besides a single word, yet many of my jumbled thoughts quickly poured out of my mouth. "Leon… _Why? _Everything was going so _wonderfully, _I… Leon, please, what did I do wrong? I'll do ANYTHING to fix it, i-if you just want to take a break then I will, p-please, I love you!"

Leon grasped my hand, sighing. "Shh, Alex. I… I love you too. You 'ave done nozzing wrong… It is all me…"

I shook my head stubbornly. "Well, don't expect me to stand up and walk away without hearing an explanation first."

Another sigh. "Alexandra… Zere is more to me zan you know. My family… I 'ave talked about zem so rarely. Why do you zink zat is?"

"Because it's hurtful to remember… Right?" I guessed.

"Well, oui… But you zink it is painful because my mozzer is dead, non?" I nodded. You mean that _wasn't _why? Leon gripped my hand tighter. "Zat Jonah boy… Chances are, 'e 'as met at least some of my relatives."

It took a second for that to click. "You have family members in Azkaban…?"

"Oui. Every living relative I know… 'as been prisoner zere. Some, zough… Zey are some'ow, like Jonah, released. Are zey reformed? Per'aps. But no amount of change will ever effect zeir 'atred of me…" Leon gazed seriously into my eyes; it felt like he was penetrating my soul. "Every aunt, uncle, cousin, and grandparent I 'ave… If zey are not locked up, zey are after me, Alexandra."

My response was probably the simplest one out there: "But, why?"

"Because zey are _evil. _Not like zose bad guys in movies evil… I mean zey are bloodzirsty, ruzzless, cold'earted… _Evil. _Zey never wanted my fazzer to marry my mozzer, she was too sweet… Zen again, my dad was always ze odd one out, wiz his kindess… Naturally, zey never wanted me to be born. Luckily, zey were all 'auled off to jail before zey could do any damage to any of us. Still, I over'eard my dad telling my mom zat if we were ever found by zem… Well, we probably would die.

"Word reached my family in 'iding zat I 'ad been turned into a vampire… Zey decided to give me a chance, seeing as zey deemed vampires to be as cruel as zem. Of course, zey some'ow found out zat I try to control my condition and so, I am in danger once more. Especially since so many of zem are on ze loose now… Zis is why I taught at 'Ogwarts instead of Beauxbatons: zey would easily locate me if I stayed in my 'ome country." Leon smiled at me sadly. "I may eventually retun, zough, since I would razzer die or be tortured zan be apart from you."

I gulped silently, taking this all in. I was angry at him for never telling me such important information, but only for a few seconds. I mean, the discreetness was for my own good… In the event that his relatives that wished him dead found us, would I listen to Leon and retreat? No: I would try to protect him and probably fail. See, I'm able to use my head in almost any situation except ones like that. I still had to confirm, though: "But why do you have to break up with me because of it?"

"Zey would not 'esitate to attack you, or maybe 'old you captive as bait," he explained. He was now gripping my hand so hard that I doubted any blood was circulating to my fingers. Although, I was holding his hand pretty tightly too.

"It… it doesn't have to be like this! If you hide, I'll hide with you. I'll-"

"Non. Alexandra, I am not looking for an argument. I know zat you're remarkably smart, but criminals can be… manipulative. If zey zreatened me, you wouldn't obey your conscience and brain, would you?" Ugh, he knew me too well. I tried to think of some way to counter him, of some way to reason that we could be safe together… I came up with nothing.

With yet another sigh, Leon got to his feet and gently pulled me with him. He slid his hand away from mine and used it to caress my cheek. He started to draw his arm away, but I held his pale hand firmly in place. If this was to be the last time I felt his skin against mine, I wanted it to last. I ignored the thunder beginning to rumble in the distance. "Je t'aime, Alexandra. I 'ope you know zat. Per'aps, one day in ze future, fate will bring us togezzer again…" Oh, why did he have to sound so doubtful in that last sentence?

My eyes widened slightly as I realized Leon had begun to lean in ever so slowly. _Don't… No, please, don't… _But my thoughts couldn't reach him. To the sound of another boom of thunder, Leon's lips were pressed gingerly against mine. I wanted to pull back; I wanted to be strong and resist; yet I found myself returning the slight pressure. French vanilla coffee… Would his lips ever taste of anything else? My heart throbbed as I acknowledged that I'd never find out. Why did this hurt so badly? I was aware that I wouldn't be able to marry him… I knew why: a damn little spark of a feeling called hope. That, and the fact that I unconditionally loved him.

"Try to forget about me," Leon whispered, his breath tickling my mouth. I should have told him I will, but I didn't want my last words to him to be a lie. How could I forget him when he just gave me such a perfect kiss, and reminded me that he loved me? Then again, a lie would have been better than nothing: before I could collect myself and fully accept that Leon was leaving me, he removed his palm from my cheek and he was gradually growing farther away. _Say something! _I demanded at myself. It was no use, though: Leon's form vanished into the distance.

Was I crying, or was that just the light rain that had begun to fall? Beneath the rumbling thunder and quiet patter of rain on the road, I murmured what I wish had verbally been my parting words: "Je t'aime, Leon."


	17. Chapter 17

I refused to allow myself to get hung up on this breakup. Did my heart ache endlessly? Yes. Did I expect to see Leon standing there when I walked out the door? Yes. Did I dream of our reunion every night, and wake up with tears in my eyes? Yes and yes. Nevertheless, I wasn't going to end up like Bella Swan and spend the rest of my days holed up, questioning my existence. I knew I needed to move on with my life.

There were certainly plenty of things to keep me preoccupied. James and Kathy's son, Edwin Potter, was born a few months after Leon broke up with me, and I was more than willing to come help out. Marie wasn't exactly a brat; more like stubborn. If that little girl decided she liked or didn't like something, there was no persuading her otherwise. For the most part, though, she was a sweetheart. Compared to her baby brother, however, she was a devil. Eddy only cried when something was really bothering him, and was rarely fussy. Kathy and I both noticed that having such a calm son had an impact on James: he acted a deal more mature since Edwin's birth. Shortly afterwards, the family of four moved back to England. This inspired me to count up my savings, and with the amount I had, I decided I would do the same. I bought a small house down the road from them, making it easy to walk there to babysit my niece and nephew. Against my protests, Kathy and James started paying me for it.

When Eddy was two years old, my cousin Sam got married. We weren't all that close, but I was really happy for him: his new bride was a young woman named Charlotte whom he worked with. You see, Sam owns an orphanage. I was having a great enough time at the wedding, but to top it off, Charlotte indicated that if I wanted, I could start working with her come 2 more years. Compared to my current job of reluctantly making money off of my brothers and sisters (Kathy's idea to pay me as a babysitter spread quickly around my family), this was a golden opportunity I couldn't afford to decline.

To my shock, not long after that wedding Kathy admitted to me that she was pregnant _again. _She told me this like it was such a sin, but I was so happy for her! James had proved himself to be a great father, and Kathy was such a fantastic mother. Claire Potter was born that year, a few days before Kiseki and Cyrus adopted a little girl named Daisy. The family tree just kept on growing! It would have been even larger, had Raye not had a miscarriage a few years before Claire was born… I felt so awful for my eldest sister- she was possibly an even better mum than Kathy.

While babysitting, keeping in touch with my family, caring for Butterscotch, and maintaining my house, I managed to make time for… romance. Because what better way is there to move on than to, well, _move on_? I originally decided to give my heart a long break, until James jokingly told me that he thought one of the neighbors has a thing for me. At first, I thought that was just James being James. However, I soon noticed that he wasn't kidding: whenever I was in the yard, I caught the young man next door quickly turning his gaze away with a red face every time I looked at him. One day, when he knocked on my door asking for some flour, I did something that I never would've dreamed of if James hadn't pestered me about it all the time.

"Hey… Would you want to, I don't know, grab some dinner sometime?" I asked sheepishly, handing a bag of powdery flour to the neighbor. His face turned beet red and he almost dropped the sack.

"So I guess you _can _take a hint…"

He was a really nice man, and just a year older than me, but I learned that he wasn't exactly my type. We decided to remain just friends after our second date. It wasn't a total loss, though: I had now opened a door that I thought and quite frankly feared would be closed forever. It felt good to search for a casual relationship, and was actually kind of fun. It's not like I went around searching for single guys, but when I ran into an old friend or someone I kept bumping into, I accepted if he asked me out and occasionally made the first move.

There was one guy that turned my world upside-down. His name was Lance, and I made his acquaintance because we were often browsing the same section of the library. We had exchanged smiles a few times, but he eventually made his way over to me as I was glancing around shelves. "Looking for anything in particular?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Oh, no, just looking…" For a few seconds, we just stood there smiling at each other. It was so awkward that we both burst into laughter. "I'm Alex," I giggled. He extended a hand.

"Lance." I didn't hesitate to shake his hand. From his accent and reddish hair, I immediately concluded he was Irish. He had these adorable dimples, and twinkly brown eyes… I blushed. Was I seriously checking him out? "So Alex. I see you around here a lot… D'you like books?" I momentarily thought he was struggling to strike up conversation, but quickly realized he was trying to sound pathetic on purpose. I laughed.

"Of course not, I hate them. I just like to look at all the pretty colors." Lance laughed too; oh, what a laugh… The two of us found our way to some armchairs in the back and started talking about our favorite book series and authors. As it turned out, we shared a lot of interests. The librarian ended up kicking us out, since we just couldn't seem to maintain quiet tones.

"Give me your hand," I offered as we walked out toward the parking lot. Lance did as he was told; from my purse, I removed a pen and scribbled a set of numbers on his palm. "Why don't you call me sometime?"

Blushing ever so slightly, Lance nodded and grinned. "I think I will. And so you don't get freaked out when you don't recognize the caller ID, I'll be the number with digits in it."

I sighed overdramatically. "Oh, phew! Thanks for the heads up."

I liked Lance. A _lot. _He wasn't Ravenclaw-material smart (he had been a Gryffindor), but he was far from dumb plus he was a bookworm. He was a year younger than me, though I guess that was a good thing: I obviously didn't have much luck with older men. We kissed on our fourth date, and I introduced him to my family soon after. They took quite a liking to him; James was only disappointed that I was no longer dating a "French fry." I discarded that concern immediately.

It was when we'd been together for about a month-and-a-half that Lance told me he was in love with me. I wasn't exactly shocked, and didn't hesitate to say I loved him too. I felt pretty confident that we'd felt sparks begin to fly from our first conversation. Even so, I didn't expect our relationship to be as serious as it apparently was.

After we'd been dating for a little over 5 months, I had taken Lance with me to babysit Tommy and Sai while Radha and Austin took a night out. "Are you two, like, gonna start snogging?" Tommy inquired as Lance and I sat with each other on the couch, watching TV with Sai. I blushed; Lance murmured: "Well you're a well-informed 7-year-old, huh?"

Sai shrugged with a grin, pushing his glasses higher up on his nose. "I'm pretty sure he gets all his knowledge on this stuff from Uncle Raito." The tan boy's smirk faltered and he smacked his palm against his forehead. "Uncle Raito! He called earlier, wanted to talk to me and Tommy, I have to call him back!" He pounced out of his chair and grabbed his younger brother by the wrist, pulling him into the hallway.

"D'you need help, love?" I called after him.

"No, I got it!" he yelled back.

"Well they're nice boys… I can tell they like you a lot, too," Lance commented once we were good and alone.

"I guess it's 'cause I was really close to their dad," I reasoned. Lance flashed a brief grin, which he soon replaced with a very serious expression.

"Alexandra… I have to ask you something," he indicated. I tilted my head slightly, tucking a strand of my brown hair behind my ear. Lance took both of my hands and stared into my eyes lovingly. "Will…. You marry me?"

It felt like my heart had plummeted to the bottom of my stomach. Did he legitimately just ask that? Oh my god… Oh my _god… _"Leon, I-…" My entire body tensed and went numb. What did I just say…! I bolted to my feet. "I'm sorry, love, I uh, stomach troubles…" I dashed off into the bathroom and locked myself in there. I sat hugging myself on the edge of the bathtub until Sai knocked on the door saying, "Aunt Alex? Mr. Lance left…"

So that proved it. No matter how hard I tried, I would never, _ever_ be over Leon Dimanche.


	18. Chapter 18

As much as I hated myself for it, I didn't call Lance for a few days after he proposed to me. When I finally did, I was somehow in tears, and told him that I wasn't ready for marriage. He apologized, I forgave him, and we went on another date that night…. I broke up with him afterwards.

Wow, I was a mess.

Something ended up happening, though, that made the last few years of my life temporarily become a blur in my memory. Three months had passed since I turned down Lance, and I hadn't dated anyone since. Maybe I just wasn't cut out for being in relationships… Okay, no, I shouldn't be having a pity party. I'd just have to give it more time, I knew. Perhaps things would get better… After all, I had a brand new career at Sam's orphanage now (even though Charlotte said I could start working there at 23, I hadn't actually gotten the job until my 25th birthday), and couldn't afford to be moping around.

I jumped slightly at the sound of my telephone ringing. I hastily stopped using my wand to do dishes and dashed to the platform from which I retrieved my cordless phone. "Hello?" I chimed, ignoring the caller ID.

"Alexandra? It's your dad." Under normal circumstances, I would have been glad to hear Dad's voice, if he didn't sound so stern.

"Hi, Daddy…!" I hoped I didn't sound too nervous, though that was probably wishing for a little too much.

"Hello, love. There's a bit of a… situation here. I need you to get down here… There's someone you, er, need to see," he indicated. From the tone of his voice, I inferred that whoever was there, he wasn't too pleased with seeing and didn't exactly desire that _I_ see them. Either that person made a really strong argument against him, or Mum told him I should come.

"Oh, alright… See you in a few." I made a kissing noise into the receiver before hanging up. Hastily, I turned off the television, locked up the house, stepped onto the back porch, and Disapparated to my old home in Japan.

"Dad? Mum? I'm here," I called, knocking on the inside of the doorway as I stepped into the house. I heard Mum respond with something, so I speed-walked in the direction of her voice. As I grabbed the doorknob leading to the room it sounded like Mum was in, the door swung open and I stumbled backward. To my concern, Dad gripped a first aid kit in one hand while Mum held a rag stained with dirt and blood.

"He's in there, sweetheart… I'll leave you alone with him," Mum murmured. Dad glared for just a second, until his expression abruptly turned sympathetic. He kissed the top of my head and took hold of Mum's hand before walking off down the hall. My heartbeat increased tenfold; I considered asking my parents who was waiting for me so as to avoid surprise, when someone inside the room I was supposed to be entering murmured my name. Forget beating too fast, now my heart was stopped. I would recognize that voice anywhere, no matter how choked up it currently was or how long ago I had last heard it.

Without any more hesitation, I sprang into the room with his name forming on my lips. I couldn't help but gasp and cover my mouth as I skidded to a halt. The 6 years in which I had been apart from Leon Dimanche obviously hadn't been good to him. His hair was unkempt and nearly reached his shoulders, although it looked as if he'd attempted to hack some off with a knife. The bristly whiskers on his chin had grown so that they no longer simply gave the five-o'clock-shadow look. His clothes were torn and unwashed. Scars covered his pale skin, and he had lost a lot of weight.

"Bonjour, Alexandra…" he whispered. I had so much to say to him… Six whole yearsworth of things… Yet what did I do? I shakily slid my wand out of my pocket, used it to levitate a pair of scissors on a nearby counter, and evenly cut Leon's matted, golden-brown hair so that it was the length and style I remembered it being. A tear streamed down my face and I precariously sat beside him. All the while, his slightly bloodshot gray eyes never left me.

"So long… It's been _so long…_" I gingerly pressed my palm against his bony cheek, as if confirming he was actually sitting there next to me. "I never forgot about you," I told him softly.

"Zat was stupid of you…" Leon chuckled weakly, placing his hand atop mine. I closed my eyes lightly.

"And I never stopped loving you."

"Well, I'm glad, zen." We sat there in silence for a few seconds, just absorbing the reality of the situation.

"So, what… What are you doing here?" I asked. Leon adjusted his position, preparing to recite a long story.

"For all zese years, I 'ave been 'iding from my relatives. A few times, zey found me… Which is why I 'ave zese scars." He motioned at the faded scrapes covering his face and arms. "About a monz ago, four of my cousins located me and started attempting my murder. Zey refused to use ze AK spell, finding zat too peaceful of a way to go… Fortunate for me, really, zat zey decided to use a variety of curses. It provided time for an Auror to 'appen to walk by. All of zem were taken back to Azkaban, and according to ze _Daily Prophet, _all of my ozzer relatives… Zey 'ave died." If I didn't know his circumstances, I would have been shocked at the relief in Leon's tone at that last statement.

"I went back into 'iding shortly afterwards, 'owever," he continued. "If I 'ad stuck around, ze Aurors or whoever would 'ave taken me to a 'ospital, where zey would find out in a snap zat I was a vampire. So few people take kindly to people of my condition… I am sure zey would 'ave kicked me out pronto, and 'ad me sent over to zat committee zat disposes of magical creatures. After I became well enough to at least move, I came to ze only safe place I could zink of: 'ere. Your parents 'ave been _so _great to me since I arrived zis morning…" he explained.

"Wow… Just, _wow…_" That was all I could manage to say. My thoughts, however, were unlimited. We had been apart for over 5 years, could he _possibly _be the same man I loved so much? Was I really meant to be with _him_? Was the only reason I was so bad with sticking to new romance really because my love for him never died? Multiple voices in my head shrieked "yes" to all these questions and more.

"I can understand if you've moved on. To see you again is just… more of a relief zan you can ever know." Leon gently ran his fingers across the back of my hair. "You're even more beautiful zan I remember you being…"

"You've looked better," I muttered. Leon stared at me in shock at my bitter comment. I, too, found that completely heartless, but I wasn't done talking. I pressed my hand over the spot on his chest where his heart is. "But so what? Nothing a bath, medical care, and a lot of good meals can't fix… Besides. As long as you're the same man I fell in love with all those years ago, then I never want to leave you again."

A soft smile appeared on Leon's face. "Nobody can stay exactly ze same over zat course of time, Alex. You would be a different person too, if you experienced all I did over zese years… Don't look at me like zat, zough. In zis case… I 'ave simply become wiser." I didn't need a Truth Serum to acknowledge the truth in his words. Draping my arms over his shoulders, I did something I had been waiting to do for 6 years.

Leon's rather chapped lips lacked flavor. So he didn't permanently taste of French vanilla coffee… Oh, gosh, I was such a child. "Do you want anything to drink?" I questioned abruptly once we pulled our faces away. Leon blinked at me.

"Mm? Why do you ask?"

I chuckled, blushing slightly and pressing my cheek against his chest. "No reason…" Leon leaned his head on mine.

"Zough, now zat you mention it… Coffee sounds très bien," he noted. Taking his hands in mine and getting carefully to my feet, I grinned broader than I remember smiling in my life.

"Coming right up, my love."


	19. Chapter 19

The next few days were spent catching up. While Leon told me of all his near-death encounters, I told him about all of my new family members, boyfriends I'd had, and my job at the orphanage. These discussions were often had over meals, since I insisted Leon eat a lot to rebuild his strength. It didn't take long for him to start better resembling the man I met so long ago. He still looked considerably older, but _that _was time's doing.

It was true that 6 years had barely altered Leon on the inside. He still had a cheesy sense of humor, powerful sense of loyalty, charming personality, musical talent (the only item he'd traveled with was his violin), and mental maturity. The fact that I had attempted to move on didn't upset Leon; on the contrary, he was relieved that he hadn't hurt me permanently. He actually apologized when I told him I turned down Lance's proposal! That did cause a considerable amount of guilt to spring up inside me, but then I recalled seeing Lance snogging some other woman outside a book store a few days prior.

My family was, for the most part, glad that I had reunited with Leon. James was positively giddy that he was able to call me Burger again, while Kathy was just happy that I was content and Edwin took a liking to him. Raye and Dad were a little suspicious, but seemed accepting enough after not too long. Daisy, 3 years of age at the time, hugged Leon around the legs before we left after visiting with Kiseki and Cyrus.

"You know, she would make an adorable flower girl," Leon remarked as we headed back to my house (where I was allowing Leon to stay). I stumbled slightly as I realized the full meaning of these words. Leon's affectionate smile only made me surer that he was suggesting what I thought he was. I, however, just blushed, and didn't say anything about it.

The following morning, Leon and I went to Mum and Dad's so Dad could check up on my boyfriend- ah, how pleasant yet strange it feels to call him that again... To my mild surprise, Dad actually looked like he was _eager _to see us. "Come in," he instructed before I could even knock. Leon and I glanced at each other, shrugged, and stepped inside.

"I assume you're wondering why I seem so excited, right?" Dad guessed. He continued before I or Leon could verbally respond. "Well, it's because us Healers have made a new breakthrough. We've been working with this patient who was attacked by a werewolf, but not fully consumed by the lycanthropy. He just gained werewolf-like qualities, such as craving extra rare meat…" Now _that _sure sounded familiar… Just by holding his hand, I could feel Leon grow tenser. "With current technology combined with magic, we figured out a way to target the DNA that invaded his system. There was just enough to be notably present, but not so much as to override his bloodstream… Long story short, we were able to un-werewolf the man! He's doing completely fine now."

It was silent for a few moments as the truth of the matter sunk in. "So, what you're saying, Monsieur Ueda, is zat… you may be able to turn me back?" Leon whispered incredulously. Dad gave an enthusiastic nod.

"Correct. Odds are, it'll be effective…" As he said this, he didn't look at Leon: he looked at me.

"And it's… safe?" I questioned.

"It's safe," Dad confirmed.

Consequently, Leon and I found ourselves in the hospital at which Dad worked as a Healer the next day. Leon sat at an examining table, appearing as nervous as a child about to go into surgery. I gripped his hand reassuringly, flashing a smile that spoke as well as words.

We simultaneously snapped our heads toward the doorway as Dad walked in, wearing a white lab coat and glasses on the rim of his nose. Whoa, he meant business. One of his coworkers followed behind, smiling friendlily. "This shouldn't take long," Dad indicated. From a tray held by the coworker, he selected a needle filled with an oddly colored liquid; I think I heard Leon gulp. "You see, this stuff here," Dad gently shook the needle, "will attract all the vampire DNA to one section of your body. The needle over there," he nodded at a syringe held by his assistant, "will extract it from your body." Leon simply nodded.

I watched from the bedside chair as Dad expertly tapped Leon's exposed arm with his wand. I squeaked and covered my eyes like a total wimp as I saw that it made Leon's skin transparent. From the sound of Leon sucking in his breath through clenched teeth, I knew the liquid had been injected into his arm. Taking a shaky breath, I peeked out through my fingers. Amongst all the red and white blood cells, I noticed a series of greenish dot-like things making their way to the spot where Dad had inserted that special liquid. After a few minutes, a big clump of green had formed in that one area. Leon's face was looking almost the same color. Without taking his eyes off of Leon's arm, Dad extended his hand backward for the syringe. He grasped it in his gloved hand, and with no warning stuck it into Leon's skin. I watched queasily as the green things got sucked up the needle.

A few seconds later, Dad smiled in relieved satisfaction and turned the skin on Leon's forearm solid again. My jaw fell slightly agape as I took note of the instantaneous results. Leon started to rub his cheek irritably, and when he opened his mouth ever so slightly, I noticed that there weren't any fangs amongst his teeth. Within seconds, his skin became less pale than I had ever seen it, and I swear he looked a couple years younger.

"There we are. Good as new," Dad sighed happily, removing his glasses. He gingerly placed his hand on Leon's shoulder. "And Leon…. You have my blessing." He winked at both of us.

Holding my hand tightly, Leon stared around the outside of the hospital. It must have felt like he was seeing through brand new eyes... The only time he'd spoken on the way out was to say "Your dad… 'E is a miracle worker." I could have stroked up a conversation, but decided to let Leon silently float in his plentiful thoughts as I did the same with mine.

Suddenly, he stopped, and kneeled down to examine an acorn. I stared curiously at him as he tapped it with his wand. What was-…? My eyes widened as I realized what he was doing: transfiguring the nut into a beautiful diamond ring.

Leon turned toward me and placed one knee on the ground. I covered my mouth with one hand. This couldn't be happening… Was this happening? Oh my god, this was happening. Taking my free hand in his, Leon smiled at me warmly and asked: "Alexandra Sakura Ueda… Will you marry me?"

Our wedding took place in France, with a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower in the background. Meals from three different cultures were served: Japanese and British for my heritage, French for Leon's. The pure white gown I wore was open-back and strapless, plus the hems were lined with pearls. My makeup was applied to give a natural glow appearance, and my hair was arranged into an elegant braid. The guest list was huge, including all my living family members plus some coworkers of Leon and I. Nobody from the Dimanche family was present.

Long story short, the event was absolutely, for lack of a better word, _amazing. _Leon and I were totally happy in our marriage; everything was almost perfect.

Almost.


	20. Chapter 20

Eleven: that's how many times Leon and I tried to achieve the task that would perfect our lives. We were successful on the fifth time- the test said so, at least- yet there was apparently no heartbeat. I was devastated for days. I was so _irritated _at myself! Other women did it, some by accident, so why couldn't I? Dad told me and Leon that it wasn't impossible for me, and in effort to make me smile, said that he'd suggest that we try harder but since he was my father, that sounded inappropriate.

Finally, after about 2 years of attempts, I found that I made the right decision not to give up. Leon had just come home from work, and after eating dinner, he sat down on the couch and pulled out his violin. "Want to 'ear my new composition, mon amour?" he inquired, bringing the bow to the strings. I climbed onto the couch beside him and sat so that my back was pressed against his right arm.

"I would _love _to," I assured him as I hugged my knees against myself. I closed my eyes peacefully as I allowed the melody to overcome me. The song wasn't much longer than a minute, but enchanting all the same. I waited for Leon to secure his instrument in its case to bring about what I needed to tell him. "I'm glad you know a lot of those, and you're so good at it… They say that if you play classical music to a baby before they're born and while they're still an infant, they grow to be notably intelligent." There. I said it. I remarked it so casually, yet my heart was fluttering a mile a minute inside my chest.

Leon turned to me in slow motion, shock taking up his expression. "You… you mean…?"

Eyes sparkling with joyful tears, I nodded. "Two and a half months, Leon. I've been pregnant for two and a half months. I visited Dad at the hospital today while you were working, and the baby is growing perfectly healthily."

Leon made a pleasurable sound that was sort of a combination of a chuckle and a sigh. "Oh, Alexandra… Zis is…" Unable to formulate words, Leon simply laughed out loud and hugged me tightly. I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around him in return. "And, your dad… 'E isn't going to kill me in my sleep?"

I giggled. "Of course he isn't. He adores anyone who can supply him with grandbabies…" Leon rolled his eyes cheerfully and sat back as if to admire me.

"You will be _such _a wonderful maman, mon cher. All ze children at ze orphanage love you so much…" Keeping one hand on my shoulder, Leon ran his other one through his bangs. "I'm going to be a papa… Oh, gosh…" I'm sure he would have rambled on even longer if I hadn't pressed my lips firmly against his.

Skip ahead 6 months. I tried to make it look like I was window shopping, but obviously I wasn't doing a very good job since I was receiving so many rude stares. I didn't care, though: I was too busy examining my reflection in a shop window from multiple angles. I couldn't help but chuckle, seeing how much bigger than I already was my winter coat made me look. It was so remarkable, knowing that in less than a month, Leon Dimanche's daughter would be born… My heart fluttered even faster as I reminded myself that she was my child too. Oh, I couldn't wait…

I smiled gently at my reflection as I recalled how the young ones at the orphanage had reacted. The older kids gingerly pressed their ears against my stomach, talking to the baby as if it was their little sibling. The smaller ones stared at me with tears in their eyes, asking why and how I could eat my own baby. Ah, the precious innocence of kids. I anticipated my own child to make friends with the little ones at the orphanage, while at the same time I hoped they would find permanent families before then.

Another memory played through my mind. I was feeling quite similar to how I was now when I had gone to the Muggle doctor where Dad worked part time, squeezing Leon's hand as I was given an ultrasound. My father's voice echoed throughout my head: "Dear Lord, I'm having another granddaughter," he had breathed after whistling under his breath. I had doubted my eyes would ever un-widen again. A little baby girl… So I wasn't having a handsome miniature Leon, but that didn't upset me: I would be more than pleased with _any _child of Leon's. Besides, my playful arguments with my husband could still revolve around whose hair, nose, and eyes we wanted our daughter to inherit.

Caressing my stomach affectionately as if I wasn't in public, my smile deepened. _Yes, I can't wait to meet you. I love you so much, my beautiful little girl… _I thought. The baby must've heard me, because I felt her kick me gently. A puff of warm breath erupted in the air as I sighed happily.

"I'm back, mon amour," crooned Leon. It's a good thing I saw him walk up behind me in the glass, because otherwise I would have jumped at his silent approach and slipped on the snowy pavement. Leon probably wouldn't have been able to catch me, since he held a steaming, brown Styrofoam cup in each gloved hand. I nodded slightly, turning around and taking the cup from his left hand. I blew on the hot beverage before taking a gradual sip. I closed my eyes and hummed in pleasure as the flavor of chocolate washed over my tongue.

"Delicious… Thanks, honey," I sighed. Leon was so good to me throughout the entire pregnancy. He put up with my mood swings, played his violin for the baby and me every single night, and accepted all of my needy requests. In fact, the worst thing he'd done the whole time was call me freaky when I asked for salt to put on my strawberry shortcake.

"De rien," Leon assured me, his warm lips feeling so comforting as they kissed my ear. He took a long sip of his coffee, flinching slightly at the heat. I waited for him to swallow before getting as close as my round stomach allowed and kissing him full on the mouth. French vanilla coffee… I'd never tire of tasting it on his lips.

I have to stop writing now. Genevieve Wendelyn Dimanche is crying for her mummy and daddy.


End file.
